


Mirjahaal

by EmmyGracey



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Forehead Kisses, Forehead Touching, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Happy Ending, Hugs, Mandalorian Marriage Vow, Mando'a, Marriage Proposal, Post Episode: s07e12 Victory and Death, Post-Order 66, Post-Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Reunions, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:27:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 23,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25253827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmyGracey/pseuds/EmmyGracey
Summary: Standing together on the desolate moon after Order 66, Rex and Ahsoka know they should separate.But they can't. They just can't.So they don't.And they discover that they're not as alone as they thought they would be.
Relationships: CC-5052 | Bly/Aayla Secura, CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano, Cut Lawquane/Suu Lawquane
Comments: 132
Kudos: 316





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mirjahaal: Mando'a word meaning peace of mind, healing, well-being, especially after a trauma or bereavement.

Ahsoka Tano slowly turned away from the mass grave she and Rex had dug for their brothers in arms. 

Brothers that wore her face.

Brothers that shared Rex’s face.

All dead and buried.

A silent tear rolled down her cheek as she walked toward the Y-Wing. The blue of Rex’s armor was striking against the dull, barren moon.

Ahsoka wiped at her eyes as she approached and watched Rex do the same. The waves of pain and hurt that rolled off of him got stronger and stronger as she got closer. He was usually much more guarded… she suspected that his mental shields were too overwhelmed right now. He stared down at the ground—lost in thought, she was sure.

Ahsoka made her way directly in front of him but he still didn’t meet her eyes. She pulled the hood of her cloak down and tentatively reached out a hand to rub his armored arm. The plastoid was cool against her fingers. She hadn’t noticed that when he had grabbed her arm to steady her, to help her stop Maul.

She ran her hand up and down gently in a comforting motion. Rex’s golden-brown eyes finally looked up and met hers, fresh tears pooled and threatened to spill over onto his cheeks.

Rex had cried three times in less than one rotation, something Ahsoka never thought she’d see. It wounded her.

Rex opened his mouth to speak but the only sound that came out was a feeble sob.

That pained sound from Rex drew more tears from her, and the only thing she could do was wrap her arms around him. His armor was jagged and hard against her, but she didn’t care. She needed to hold him.

Rex stood stock-still at the initial embrace, but eventually brought his arms around her small frame to squeeze her tightly to him. He buried his head low in the crook of her neck.

Ahsoka rubbed his armored back as he cried. His tears wet her skin and the fabric of her gray cloak.

The agony he felt matched hers, but still amidst all the pain she felt his _relief._

Relief that they were still alive.

Relief that they were together.

She moved her head to place a featherlight kiss on his scarred chin. He mumbled in response of the gesture. Ahsoka felt the movement but couldn’t hear him against her neck. “Rex?”

Rex turned his head to brokenly whisper, “I’m sorry, Ahsoka.”

Ahsoka’s eyes went wide. She shook her head, careful not to jostle him. “I’m sorry too, Rex,” she echoed back. “But neither of us should be. It wasn’t us. It wasn’t them. It wasn’t the G.A.R., and it wasn’t the Jedi.” Her voice was soft, soothing, but an edge appeared with the next words, “It was Sidious.”

The gentle, melancholy tone resumed when she continued, “We were all victims.” 

A wave of anger washed over Rex. Ahsoka knew it wasn’t directed at her.

He pulled away from her abruptly. “Ahsoka, more of the Jedi are dead than my brothers. Most of them are still alive, just—”

“Brainwashed.” Ahsoka cupped one of his cheeks. “They were brainwashed by an evil man to do his bidding. To kill men and women they fought beside and were friends with. They’re victims. I will _never_ blame your brothers for this, Rex.”

Rex rested his forehead against hers and sighed. His voice was gruff, “We’ll need to hide.”

“We will.”

They both knew they should separate. They knew it’d be safer for them both, it’d be easier to stay hidden.

They _knew_ they should separate.

But they couldn’t.

They just couldn’t.

“I won’t leave you, Ahsoka.” Rex was adamant.

She looked up into his golden eyes and nodded once. “And I won’t leave you, Rex.”

It was decided. After all the two of them had been through, they weren’t going to let this tear them apart.

They wouldn’t let it.

“Besides,” Rex began, the tiniest hint of levity in his voice, “I just got you back.” He swiftly brushed his lips against Ahsoka’s forehead.

A ghost of a smile spread across Ahsoka’s face, but it quickly fell. “We need to leave something of yours here.”

Rex reached for his helmet in the Y-Wing.

“No,” Ahsoka interjected, grabbing his hand to stop him. He looked at her. “Please keep your bucket, Rexster.”

His lips upturned for a moment before he unstrapped his pauldron from his shoulders and walked it up to where her lightsaber lie. He took a deep breath before he dropped it gracelessly. It clattered against the hard ground.

He swallowed thickly and marched back toward Ahsoka. “We need to get off this moon,” he said. “Away from…”

Away from the crashed ship.

Away from the moon.

Away from the death.

Just… _away._

Ahsoka grasped Rex’s armor-plated hand. “Where can we go?”

“Anywhere away from here. Somewhere we could lay low, live quietly.”

“The Outer Rim, then.” Ahsoka decided. She wracked her brain for a good choice.

She snapped her fingers when one came to her. “Batuu. I’ve never been, but Ana— my Mast—,” she couldn’t bring herself to say his name. Not yet. She didn’t know where he was or if he was even still alive.

What had she felt on the ship before the Order went out?

“He… He told me about it once. It’s described as a ‘good place to get lost’.”

“Just what we need,” Rex said, squeezing her shoulder. “Let’s go.” They hopped into the Y-Wing and Rex entered the coordinates for Batuu. “Are you ready, Ahsoka?”

Ahsoka glanced one last time at her lightsaber on the ground, the helmets—some with her own markings staring back at her, and the wreckage of the Venator. “Yes. Let’s leave, please.”

They took off and headed for the sky. Once out of the atmosphere and into the darkness of space, Rex put them into lightspeed, and they watched the stars elongate and disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on this for about two months, SO nice to get the first chapter up! Woo! 
> 
> This will be a story of Rex and Ahsoka's journey together post-Order 66. There will be highs and lows and they'll discover that they're not as alone as they thought.
> 
> I am going to try and update every few days. The writing is done, but the editing is not. Lol. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Batuu came into view as they exited hyperspace. Orange, blue, and green from the air, Batuu seemed to have multiple terrains to pick from to settle in.

“Where should we land? It won’t be safe to try a spaceport,” Rex reminded Ahsoka.

“Try to find a clearing near some water.”

“Yes ma’am,” Rex answered automatically. He winced at the word once it was out.

Ahsoka noticed his wince. “It’s all right, Rex. Old habits are hard to break.” She saw him nod in front of her and he landed the ship in silence.

They jumped down from the ship and looked around their new surroundings. The suns were setting and shone on a small lake a few meters away from them. The only visible thing besides the lake were trees.

“We should be safe here. I want to search the area, but not until morning. We both need rest,” Rex said. He climbed back up to the Y-Wing to grab a small emergency kit out of the co-pilot’s seat.

“What’s that?” Ahsoka asked, pointing at the pack.

“It’s food and shelter. Each Wing has one of these kits,” Rex explained. “A tent, two sleeping bags, ration bars, and a canteen. It’s enough to keep us alive for a few rotations.”

“Always a good thing,” Ahsoka quipped and smiled at him weakly. Rex returned it as he opened the kit and set out to put up the tent.

Ahsoka grabbed the canteen and walked over to the lake. She cupped her hands and dipped them into the water so she could taste it. It was fresh. She splashed her face and filled up the container.

On the short walk back, she picked up loose rocks and sticks so they could build a fire near their tent. This planet had three suns, but she didn’t know what the night would be like.

Rex had the tent up and secured when she arrived back. It was small, but they both should fit fine. The idea of sleeping beside Rex comforted her. “All done, command—err—Ahsoka.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “Sorry.”

She waved off his slip up. “I filled the canteen for us. Here.” She offered him the water and he accepted it gratefully. He took a long drink before handing it back to her. “I’m not sure what the nights are like here, so I brought firewood too. Is there a fire starter in that kit?” She dropped the wood on the ground and Rex handed her what she asked for.

Rex arranged the rocks around the wood as she lit up a log and started to carefully kindle the flame. “Good thinking, sir.”

Ahsoka tilted her head towards him, eyebrow markings raised.

Rex realized what he had said. Working beside her, he kept unconsciously reverting back to her rank. He groaned and put his head in his hands. “ _Ahsoka,_ ” he drew out her name and shook his head, irritated with himself. “I’m sorry. I really don’t mean—”

“I know,” Ahsoka reassured. She sat down beside him on the ground and leaned against his side, placing a hand on his knee. “It’s okay, Rex.” She sighed. “I wonder if anyone else in the galaxy is in the same situation we are?”

Rex handed her a ration bar before he bit into one himself. He waited until he swallowed to answer with a simple, “I don’t know. I’m not sure if any other _vode_ had their chips removed.”

“Thank the Force for Fives,” Ahsoka muttered and reached up to lightly trace her fingers over Rex’s bandage. “He didn’t die entirely in vain.”

“I just wish I had believed him sooner,” Rex said.

Rex remembered something then. He never got the chance to tell her… “Echo is alive.”

Ahsoka leaned closer, flabbergasted. “What? How?”

“The Separatists took his body from the Citadel,” Rex explained. “But he was alive. The Techno Union mangled his body and they… they turned him into a computer. A computer that fed them our intel. But I was able to get him out with the help of some impressive soldiers. Echo decided to stay with them.”

“I… wow,” Ahsoka breathed.

Rex sighed and looked downward. “But now, I don’t know if—if he… I don’t know.”

They finished their bars in silence. Rex went to fill the canteen after and found Ahsoka already inside the tent when he returned. He could hear her steady breathing, so he removed his armor down to his blacks and rolled out his sleeping bag on the ground.

“What are you doing?”

Rex turned toward her voice, Ahsoka’s head was out of the tent. “Ahsoka, I thought you were asleep.”

“Rex, you are not sleeping on the cold dirt. Get in here.”

“I thought you might prefer the extra room.”

“I’m fine. Come on in.” She waved her hand toward the opening to make her point. Rex still hesitated. Ahsoka could feel a small ripple of surprising fear from him. Her voiced turned quiet, pleading, “Rex, please. I don’t want to be alone.”

Neither did he.

Rex picked up his sleeping bag and crawled inside the tent to lay it down right beside her.

“Thank you,” she whispered as he settled in. She rolled over to face him. He was on his back, eyes open, looking at the canvas roof above him. She placed her hand on his chest, right over the symbol of the fallen Republic. His heartbeat was strong beneath her hand. “We need new clothes.”

Rex placed his larger hand over hers. “We do. There’s a market a few klicks from here, I saw it from the Y-Wing and double checked with scopes when I refilled the canteen. I’ll check it out tomorrow.”

“I’m going with you,” Ahsoka declared.

Rex turned his body to face her, her bright blue eyes fiery with determination. “All right. _We’ll_ go tomorrow,” he corrected himself.

“That’s right.” Ahsoka nodded. “Goodnight, Rex.”

“Goodnight, Ahsoka.”

Rex hesitantly wrapped an arm around her waist. Even through the sleeping bag she felt the weight and warmth against her. She snuggled as close to Rex as she could for being in a separate sleeping bag.

Ahsoka listened as his breathing evened out. That earlier fear she had felt from him had dissipated and was replaced by contentment.

She was right, having Rex sleep beside her was very comforting. She fell asleep quickly and it was the most peaceful she’d slept since before she left the Jedi Order.

////

Rex jolted awake with “Jesse no!” on his lips.

The early morning sunslight was bright even through the fabric of the tent. He scrunched his eyes closed at the brightness and to keep a tear at bay.

His poor brothers…

He took a deep, shaky breath.

Ahsoka’s steady breathing beside him reminded him where he was, what had happened. His arm was still around her waist, so he pulled her closer to him, trying not to wake her.

She stirred anyway. “Rex?”

“I didn’t mean to wake you, Ahsoka,” he admitted, guiltily.

She reached a hand up to set on his shoulder. “Are you all right?”

Rex sighed. “Nightmare. That’s all.”

Ahsoka moved to lay her head on Rex’s chest, mindful of her montrals. He was broad and warm, his heartbeat steady and soothing. “I’m surprised I didn’t have any.”

Rex rubbed a hand over her arm. “I’m glad you didn’t.” He squeezed her and then they moved away from each other to unzip their sleeping bags and sit up.

Ahsoka stretched her arms up in the air before reaching for the emergency bag beside them.

Rex looked down at his chest. “I do need to get this symbol off.”

“We both need new clothes. Hopefully, we can find some at that marketplace today,” Ahsoka said as she handed him a ration bar for breakfast. “Do you have any credits? I have a few.”

Rex frowned. “Yeah, I do. I have some from playing games with the—with the boys.”

“Let’s hope it’s enough. Here—” she reached back into the pack for the medkit. She opened it and pulled out a clean bandage “—I want to change that.” She pointed at his head. Rex scooted closer and let Ahsoka’s fingers gently peel away the old and place the new.

“Thank you,” he whispered before he finished his bar and cleared his throat. “Ahsoka, before we leave, I want to do something,” Rex said as he stood and left the tent. Ahsoka’s eyebrow markings scrunched in confusion, but she followed him out into the sunslight.

“Do what, Rexster?” Ahsoka asked, hands on her hips. She watched Rex grab his DC-17 blaster pistols from the holsters on his belt. He waved her over in response and she walked closer to him.

Rex crossed his arms. “Now that you can’t use your sabers, I want to see if you can shoot.” Ahsoka’s eyes widened and Rex tossed her a pistol before he quickly turned and shot a bolt into a distant tree trunk.

The scorch mark darkened the bark instantly.

Rex challenged, “Try and hit the mark I just made.”

Ahsoka wasn’t familiar with blasters except for deflecting bolts. She’d never really been on the other end. But she had watched Rex and the entire 501st and other troopers shoot over the years...

She stretched her arm out steadily and aimed at the scorch mark.

She fired.

And her shot landed _nowhere_ near Rex’s.

She tried again. This time she landed closer, but still several centimeters off. She fired a third, fourth, fifth time, never hitting the mark. She groaned a little in frustration.

“Getting angry will make it harder to focus. You know that Ahsoka,” Rex guided.

He stood behind her and took her arm. “Your aim is very good for a beginner but using both hands will help even more.” He moved her other hand to the grip of the weapon; his fingers were warm against her skin.

She grasped it correctly. “ _You_ don’t use two hands for one blaster,” Ahsoka quipped and Rex chuckled. 

“Don’t need to. Elite soldier, remember?” He stepped away and nodded at her to try again.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes as she aimed the blaster again. She closed her eyes and focused. Yes, quite different from a lightsaber, but…

She fired and the bolt struck true.

“Excellent, Ahsoka,” Rex praised.

He fired three more shots into three different trees. “Your turn.”

She hit them all perfectly.

Ahsoka smirked and handed the DC-17 back to its owner. “Not bad, huh?”

“Not bad at all. I’m not surprised you can shoot, Ahsoka,” Rex said and looked at the ground. “And I know you’re more than capable of handling something. But I wanted to be sure just in case anything—” He shook his head. “Just in case.”

Ahsoka took his hand in hers. “We’ll be okay.”

“Now,” her tone turned lighter, “you need to do something about your shirt so we can check out this market.” She nudged him playfully and walked to the Y-Wing to retrieve her cloak. She fastened it around her neck and looked up to find a shirtless Rex sitting on the ground, a blade in his hand cutting up the top of his blacks.

Ahsoka looked away but couldn’t help but find her eyes drawing back to Rex’s bronze, muscular skin.

It was quite an admirable view.

But her thoughts shifted once she noticed just how _scarred_ Rex was. So many lines of white marred his skin. His shoulders, his arms, his abdominals, his chest…

 _Force_ , his chest had a substantial mark on it. Ahsoka couldn’t help herself. She asked, “Rex, where did the huge scar on your chest come from?”

Rex looked up and met her eyes before looking down at his chest. He ran his fingers over the white tissue. “Commando droid on Saleucami shot me as I was traveling on speeder bike. I had some nerve damage, but Kix fixed me up.”

At Ahsoka’s flinch, Rex reassured, “It’s been years. I’m fine now, Ahsoka.” He held up the top of his blacks— now made into a crude vest— and put it on. The Republic crest was no more, it was cut into strips at Rex’s feet. The sleeves were still in-tact and he wrapped them around his head for both sun and identity protection.

Satisfied with their cover, Rex stood, and they began their walk to the marketplace.

It didn’t take them long to get there. It was busy, bustling, easy to go unnoticed.

Rex and Ahsoka entered a small outfitter first where they were able to purchase simple pants and tunics for them both. They’d have to keep their own boots for now, but that was manageable. Shoes weren’t paid attention to.

They left the outfitter stall and walked across the street to a fruit vendor with a vegetable vendor right next to it. They had a few spendable credits left and fresh produce sounded wonderful.

The stall was bright and sweet smelling, the colorful fruit was a nice contrast to the plain colors of the market.

Ahsoka eyed the jogan fruits while Rex picked up a meiloorun and studied it.

“How much is this?”

Ahsoka looked at Rex and pointed at a small sign amongst the meilooruns. “They’re two for one credit, Rex.”

Rex looked at her and his eyebrows knit together. “I didn’t say anything, Ahsoka.”

“Oh. I thought you did,” Ahsoka said. She could have sworn…

“And how much is this?”

Ahsoka heard his voice again and answered, “Those are three credits.”

“Ahsoka, I’m not saying anything,” he told her gently, growing mildly concerned.

Ahsoka huffed. “Well, if it’s not you Rex, then who is it?”

They both began to look around the marketplace cautiously. “If it’s not you then it’s someone who sounds a lot like you…” Ahsoka trailed off as she noticed a man of familiar height and build in a maroon cloak and black goggles at the vegetable stall beside them. She slowly grabbed Rex’s hand to get his attention, but he had already noticed the stranger.

Rex and Ahsoka watched as the man walked away and met up with someone a few stalls down. A woman, it looked like by the build. That woman turned and Rex and Ahsoka saw the tips of blue lekku peeking underneath the brown fabric of her cloak.

Ahsoka gasped quietly and Rex squeezed her hand. She looked at him and a wordless decision passed between them. They set the fruit down and slowly followed the two strangers through the market. Both Rex and Ahsoka tried to contain the spark of hopefulness they felt, but if there was a chance…

The strangers stopped at another stall down the street. Rex and Ahsoka walked over nonchalantly to stand beside them. The man turned swiftly toward Rex and Ahsoka and held out a hand to stop any sudden movements from them.

“Come here,” the man ordered roughly and jerked his head to indicate a deserted alley behind them all.

The strangers moved first with Rex and Ahsoka only a pace behind them. Once hidden away the man spoke louder. “What do you want? Why are you following us?”

His voice.

His voice plus the woman’s blue lekku.

It must be.

Rex looked at the stranger straight on. He let go of Ahsoka’s hand and took a step closer. “Bly?”

The man took a step back and tore off his facial covering and goggles to reveal golden-brown eyes and identical gold tattoos, one on each cheek.

Rex ripped his face covering off too.

“Rex!” Bly cried in disbelief. The two brothers grabbed hands and hugged.

Ahsoka looked at the other hooded figure. She hesitated, “Master Secura?”

Aayla Secura pulled her hood down and beamed. “Hello Ahsoka.”

Aayla embraced Ahsoka tightly. “It is so good to see you and Rex, but we shouldn’t be seen out together like this.” She turned to Bly. “Let’s go home, yes?”

Bly immediately agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you Rex and Ahsoka wouldn't be as alone as they thought! 
> 
> Bly and Aayla are another pairing I absolutely adore, and sadly, have one of the most devastating canon endings ever. So, of course, I'm changing that. Lol. I won't be focusing on them too much, but they're sticking around! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Aayla and Bly led Rex and Ahsoka away from the market hand in hand. They walked to a small clutter of huts about a klick away. They stopped at the last one, furthest away from anyone. Bly opened the door and let Rex and Ahsoka enter in first.

Inside was quaint, bare, but it had a kitchen, a sitting area, a refresher, along with two other rooms with doors closed. Aayla took off her cloak and set it on the small couch in the sitting room. “Make yourself at home, friends.”

Bly, Rex, and Ahsoka followed her lead and took off their coverings now that they were safely hidden away. “Sit down,” Aayla urged gesturing toward a table in the kitchen. Rex and Ahsoka sat side by side while Bly took his seat beside Aayla across from them.

Rex and Ahsoka drank in the sight of their friends. Their earlier hope and disbelief had turned into elation. Ahsoka could tell Aayla and Bly felt the same.

Now that Ahsoka could really see her, she noticed that Aayla was covered in dark burns and bruises. There were bandages on her shoulders and one on her chest. Both of her lekku were bandaged as well.

Bly had a bandage on the right side of his head, identical to Rex’s.

“You were able to get your chip out too?” Rex asked him.

Bly focused on the wood of the table. His words were quiet when he spoke, “Aayla… she got it out for me after—after Felucia.” Aayla leaned over and kissed Bly’s temple softly. The motion made Rex and Ahsoka smile.

Bly continued, “The rest of the Three Twenty-Seventh, they—they _fired_ on her. Sidious contacted me, but I—I resisted. When the men fired on Aayla, I fired on _them_.” Bly’s voice was agonized, full of guilt. Aayla wrapped her arms around him gingerly, mindful of her wounds, and hugged him. “I couldn’t let them kill her. I _fired_ on our _brothers,_ Rex.”

“Bly,” Rex began softly, “I did too. I shot them to save Ahsoka.”

“They didn’t even hesitate,” Bly’s voice broke. “They overheard my comm and immediately drew their weapons up, even after everything General Secura had done for them.” Bly put his head in his hands, his turmoil palpable. Aayla laid her head on his shoulder.

“Bly, it’s all right,” Aayla comforted. “I am right here with you.”

“But you’re hurt!” Bly yelped. It was the loudest any of them had ever heard him speak. He gestured frantically to the multiple bandages on Aayla’s azure skin. “I wasn’t fast enough. Blaster bolts still hit you.”

Aayla placed both hands on Bly’s cheeks, her thumbs caressed his distinguishable tattoos. “Bly, I am right here with you,” she repeated. Tears rolled down Bly’s cheeks onto her hands and he grasped them gently, leaning into her touch.

Ahsoka reached for Rex’s hand and squeezed it, reveling in his strong, familiar grip.

The pain and vulnerability of the two clones before her was completely understandable, but it wasn’t something she was used to. It broke her heart and she knew it broke Aayla’s too.

Rex lifted Ahsoka’s hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss against it. Ahsoka’s lekku darkened at the gesture but she reveled in his touch.

Aayla spoke, “Bly, it was the chips. None of you had a say.”

“I was able to resist it.” Bly pointed at Rex. “Rex was able to resist it. Could none of the others?”

“We haven’t heard from any others,” Ahsoka admitted. “Have you?”

“No, Ahsoka,” Aayla said. “We haven’t heard from anyone, Jedi or Trooper. We still have a datapad and my comlink. But the comm was damaged during… the events. So, nothing.” Aayla shook her head. “We thought we were the only ones.”

“Well, you’re not,” Ahsoka said, smiling weakly. Aayla smiled back at her.

Bly kissed Aayla’s palm and sighed deeply. He addressed Rex and Ahsoka, “I’m sorry.”

Rex held up the hand that wasn’t holding Ahsoka’s. “Don’t apologize, Bly. You— _we_ —have every right to be upset, but it wasn’t us, it was the chips, like Aayla said. Inserted into us as embryos. We were just pawns in Sidious’s game. Property.”

“You are not property!” Ahsoka and Aayla scolded in unison. Rex and Bly’s eyes widened at the outburst.

“You are not property,” Ahsoka asserted again. “And you were never just expendable. You are flesh and blood with thoughts and feelings. You hope and dream and want. You get angry, you hurt, you laugh.”

“You are individuals whom we love,” Aayla added.

Ahsoka’s lekku darkened again. Rex glanced at her but looked away.

“You are _not_ property. You—and all your brothers—are victims. Just like the Jedi. I told you that, Rex.” Ahsoka’s eyes became glassy with tears. “Please don’t ever say anything that degrading again.”

Rex’s mouth opened but no words came out. He simply nodded and Bly did the same even though he wasn’t the one being directly spoken to.

Bly looked at Rex and asked, “How did you resist?”

Rex took a deep breath before he explained. “Sidious gave the order. I was able to tell my men to wait, that I’d be the one to take the shot. Then I was able to tell Ahsoka about Fives.”

“Fives?” Bly questioned. “Isn’t he gone?”

“Yeah, he is,” Rex said. “But he actually… he discovered the chips in our heads on Kamino. Fives accompanied a brother—Tup—who we had assumed was sick. But he wasn’t sick, his chip had rotted and activated early. Fives found out and tried to warn me, but I… I—I didn’t believe him until it was too late.” Rex closed his eyes in shame.

“ _Vod_ , I probably wouldn’t have either. Don’t blame yourself.”

“I reported on it after it happened. I knew that file was on our ship. Ahsoka was able to find it. Then she was able to knock me out and rush me to the medbay to remove it, leaving me with this.” Rex pointed at the bandage on his head.

“It didn’t even show up on any of the medical scans. Sidious made sure the Kaminoans hid it well. I had to use the Force to find it, our bond showed it to me,” Ahsoka said, sheepishly. “I’m just so thankful I was able to get it out and get Rex back.”

Aayla gave her a weak smile from across the table. “Once the others were… gone, it was just Bly and me. I was wounded, but I could still move, just slowly. I crawled to him and dragged him to the ground beside me. I threw the blaster out of his hand and held his arms above his head. I called a medkit over with the Force and grabbed a sedative and a laser scalpel. I focused so I could find it, then I got it out. It drained me.”

“When I came to a few minutes later and saw Aayla’s state, I picked her up and put her on our ship. Then we flew it far away. Seems like you did too.”

Ahsoka frowned. “We escaped our Venator in a Y-Wing. The other troopers tried to stop us, but we were able to get off the ship. It went down. All the other troopers died. Including Jesse.”

“We buried them properly,” Rex said. “Then we took off and landed here. We camped out a few klicks from the marketplace last night.”

“Camped out?” Aayla asked and got nods of confirmation from Rex and Ahsoka. “No, stay with us here. There’s another room.”

“How did you even get this place?” Rex asked. 

“Sold the ship,” Bly stated. “Then when a neighbor, who’s also the owner of these homes, saw Aayla’s injuries he took pity on us. We can’t stay here forever, but we can for a while, I think.”

Aayla looked back and forth between them. “Rex, Ahsoka, please stay with us.”

Ahsoka looked at Rex. It’d certainly be nicer than a tent out in the wild, and they’d all be together. That would be the best part. “We’ll have to be careful we’re not seen. I know people don’t seem to pay too much attention here, but you two—” She pointed between Rex and Bly “—should not be spotted together in public much.”

“Agreed. We’ll be careful. Do you want to stay, Ahsoka?” Rex asked.

“I want us to stay together,” she said.

Rex nodded. He did too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want the four of them to stay together too. So they will be. :)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Aayla clapped her hands together. “I’m glad you’re staying.” She kissed Bly’s cheek and carefully stood up from the table. “We’ll need to bring your things here. Bly, why don’t you and Rex go and pick up their things while Ahsoka and I prepare a midday meal?”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re going to discuss more than food?” Bly chuckled and Aayla smiled in return. Bly stood and waved Rex out of his seat. “Come on, Rex. Let’s wrap our heads up again and head out.”

“I’ll see you soon, Ahsoka.” Rex squeezed her around the waist in a hug and followed Bly out the door, leaving Aayla and Ahsoka alone.

Ahsoka stood and Aayla hugged her tightly. “I am so happy that you and Rex are alive. I know it must have been hard. It was for me and Bly.” Aayla winced as she let Ahsoka go.

“Are you all right?” Ahsoka asked.

“I’m healing.”

“How…” Ahsoka hesitated but decided to ask, “how many bolts were you hit with Mast—Aayla.” She corrected herself. It felt strange not using her earned title.

“I’m not sure. I think six, but Bly won’t tell me the exact number. He’s too ashamed no matter how much I tell him he shouldn’t be.” Aayla reached up toward a cabinet but dropped her arm when a sharp pain struck her. “Ahsoka could you grab a bowl for me please?”

Ahsoka grabbed one from the cabinet and handed it to her.

“I think our boys are going to feel guilty forever,” Aayla admitted.

Ahsoka’s lekku darkened at the affectionate term Aayla used, and the older Jedi smiled at her. “Sadly, I think you’re right, Aayla. It’s heartbreaking.”

“It is,” Aayla agreed as she handed Ahsoka some vegetables and a knife from a drawer. “Please Ahsoka?”

“Of course.” Ahsoka cut the vegetables quickly making sure the slices were even. She wanted to ask Aayla something, but she didn’t know if she should.

As Ahsoka debated what to do, Aayla made the decision for her. “Go ahead, Ahsoka.”

Ahsoka chuckled lightly. “I still remember our conversation three years ago on Meridun about attachment. Even then I wondered—and I don’t want to call you a hypocrite, Master—but even then, I had a feeling that you were attached to Bly. Were you?”

It was Aayla’s turn to chuckle now. “Yes, I was. I grew to love him, and he loves me.” Aayla stopped stirring ingredients and placed a hand on Ahsoka’s forearm. Ahsoka stopped cutting and gave Aayla her full attention as she spoke. “Ahsoka, attachments are not evil. They’re natural. The code was put into place to protect us and them, but now the code is… not needed. All of the Jedi have— _had_ —attachments. It makes us living beings, that’s all.”

She went back to her stirring and Ahsoka resumed her cutting. Aayla continued, “But attachments can also make us stronger, like myself and Bly. We worked better, planned better, and fought better together. It was his love and attachment that allowed him to fight off the chip.”

Ahsoka digested Aayla’s words.

_His love and attachment allowed him to fight off the chip._

“Rex was… he was able to do the same,” Ahsoka whispered.

There was a soft “hmm” from Aayla beside her.

“Wait. Aayla you said your attachment helped you work better together. How long have you…?”

“About two years.” Aayla looked at Ahsoka, excited to see her expression as she said, “We’re actually married.”

Ahsoka’s blue eyes widened almost comically and Aayla laughed. “Really?” Ahsoka asked and looked at the Twi’lek’s left hand. There was a woven leather band around one of her fingers.

Aayla wiggled that finger. “We said the Mandalorian marriage vow in private before we left for Felucia,” She explained. “So, indeed we are.”

Ahsoka stepped away from her vegetable cutting to hug Aayla again. “Congratulations! I’m happy for you two.”

“Thank you, Ahsoka. Bly and I need each other, we love each other. The evil in the galaxy couldn’t part us,” Aayla’s voice shook. “I’m so thankful for him. He saved my life.”

“And you saved his,” Ahsoka remarked and picked the knife back up to try and cut away her thoughts but she couldn’t.

She thought about Rex and she smiled.

////

Rex led Bly past the market to the Y-Wing and camp. “Looks like everything is still here.” Rex packed up the tent and emergency kit while Bly looked over the ship.

“We could sell this, you know.”

Rex looked up. “You think?”

Bly slapped the side of the ship. “I think so. It’d give us some more credits to use on important things: food, clothing, toiletries.”

“My dye,” Rex joked and pointed at his hair.

Bly laughed. “You don’t think Ahsoka would like you with the natural black?”

Rex froze. “I—I don’t know. She’s only ever seen the blond.”

“I’m sure she’d still love you.”

Rex looked at Bly. “What did you say?” He asked slowly.

Bly quirked an eyebrow. “I said I’m sure she’d still love you without your hair dyed.”

“I dye it because I want to,” Rex retorted. “And what do you mean love?”

“What do _you_ mean love, Rex? I saw how you two were at home, how you two act. And if I noticed, Aayla _definitely_ noticed.” Bly sat on the ground beside Rex. “Was I wrong? Please forgive me if I was, brother.”

Rex shook his head but remained silent. Bly accepted that. “Aayla and I are together, you know.”

“I noticed,” Rex stated, not unkindly. “I’m happy for you, Bly.”

“It’s been a few years now.” Rex’s head shot toward Bly as he continued, “We’re married, actually.”

“You’re _what?_ ”

Bly nodded. “Yup. Said the Mandalorian marriage vow before our last mission. Before all hell broke loose in the galaxy.”

Rex clapped Bly on the back. “Congratulations, _vod._ ”

“Thank you. I think that’s why I was able to resist. I think it’s why you could too.”

Rex shrugged. “Ahsoka and I have always been close—been friends.”

“Rex, you love her,” Bly said, simply. “I don’t know in what way, but you love her.”

Rex nodded. He did. He did love her.

In more ways than he ever imagined.

////

Rex and Bly arrived back at the house with the emergency bag, extra credits, and no Y-Wing.

Bly kissed Aayla as soon as he was through the door.

Ahsoka rushed over to Rex as he set their bag down. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Rex returned the favor and squeezed her gently. He was so warm and solid, a steady presence in her life that she never wanted to lose. Never wanted to be parted from again. She missed him, she loved him.

_Oh._

It really struck her then just how much she loved him. _More_ than loved him.

She was _in love_ with this wonderful man in her arms. “I’m _so_ glad you’re back, Rex.”

Ahsoka could feel the affection and the _love_ emanating from him.

“I’m glad I’m back too.” He pulled away slowly and kissed one of her montrals.

“Come on, Rex,” Ahsoka urged. “Let’s eat.”

They sat down just as Bly set a bowl of salad on the table, then bowls of soup. Aayla brought over a plate of fruit and winked at Bly as she took her seat. Ahsoka smiled at the scene and Aayla grinned brightly back at her. A bright _knowing_ grin.

Rex and Ahsoka glanced at each other, warm smiles grew on both of their faces. Rex clutched her hand in his and squeezed once before the group began to eat in comfortable silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, well, now Rex and Ahsoka understand their feelings, if only they'll just tell each other... Tee-hee. ;) (Won't take long, promise!)
> 
> And, Of COURSE Bly and Aayla are married, I mean have you seen them interact? :D
> 
> Also, I've always wanted to see cute/funny convos between the clones about their personal hair choices and such, that's where the dye bit came from. That kinda stuff always makes me smile. Lol.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

That evening the four of them sat in the small sitting room. The suns had set, and the moons shone bright through the small viewport.

“Rex,” Bly addressed him while he tried to fix Aayla’s broken comlink. “I was planning on looking for a job tomorrow, would you want to join me?”

“Of course,” Rex agreed. “That way we’ll have some spendable credits. Maybe we could even find ourselves a ship,” He thought aloud.

Ahsoka looked between Rex and Bly. “Do you think it’s safe for you to get jobs? With who you are and how similar you look?”

“Similar,” Bly scoffed. “You mean identical.”

Ahsoka shrugged. “Well, you and Rex and all the clones shared the same face, but I never saw you as identical.”

Rex thought his heart could burst at Ahsoka’s words. Ahsoka could feel the rush of appreciation and affection Rex felt for her and gave him a smile.

“Thank you, Ahsoka,” Bly said.

Aayla spoke up, “I do not believe anyone here on Batuu has ever seen a clone trooper, so you two could possibly pass as brothers. But I still think you should look for work in different places. To be safe, is all.”

“Yes ma’am,” Bly playfully answered Aayla. “We’ll be careful. That’s how we’re still here with the two of you,” he reminded her.

“This is true,” Rex added with a chortle.

“If we can find a ship eventually, I’d like it to be large enough for more than the four of us,” Aayla remarked. “If we find anyone else, they could join us. Even a junker could work, we could fix it up.”

“I can,” Ahsoka said.

Bly gestured toward Ahsoka. “Perfect. Hopefully, we can stay here for a while, but I know we’ll have to travel eventually. Better chance that the Empire,” he spat the word, “won’t find us.”

Ahsoka, Rex, and Aayla nodded solemnly.

Bly tossed aside the still broken comlink and picked up his datapad. “The credits Rex and I got from selling the Y-Wing are a good start, we’ll need some more things for around the home,” he said.

Ahsoka raised her hand. “I can go back to the market tomorrow to get our necessities. Aayla you should stay behind and rest.”

Aayla rubbed one of her bandaged lekku. “I won’t argue with you, Ahsoka.”

“I wouldn’t,” Rex said, causing a small laugh from everyone.

Ahsoka quirked a white brow marking. “Do you want your hair dye, Rexster?” She reached up and ran a hand over his short hair. “Do you want to stay blond or let your dark grow in?”

“Do you think I should keep dying it here? What would you prefer?” Rex asked her.

Ahsoka was slightly taken aback by the question. But she thought about it. “Well, you would look handsome either way, but the most important thing is that you feel safe and comfortable.” Rex stayed silent and Ahsoka got the hint. “I prefer the blond.”

“I’ll keep the blond.” Rex winked at her.

Ahsoka beamed at him. “Okay. Hair dye for Rex, more produce for us all, bandages and bacta patches for Aayla and to stock the medkit, maybe some fabric, and more clothes. Got it.”

A frustrated groan sounded from Bly’s spot on the sofa and they all glanced at him.

Rex asked, “What’s wrong, Bly?”

Bly held up the datapad. “This kriffing thing. It’s almost as bad as the comlink. I’ve been trying to get some sort of holonews on it since we got here last rotation. I almost had something, but the signal disappeared. Hiding is fine but knowing _nothing_ of what is going on in the galaxy doesn’t bode well with me.” He tweaked it for a few more minutes and it finally worked. “Oh no.”

A droid’s voice filled the room, it was faint, but they could make out the words, _“The funeral for The Naboo senator Padmé Amidala was held today.”_

“What?” Ahsoka cried out.

_“Her casket was walked through Theed on the way to her final resting place.”_

Bly quickly turned off the holonews after that.

Ahsoka’s jaw dropped in dismay. She covered her eyes with the heels of her hands before her tears could fall. Rex pulled Ahsoka to his chest tightly. She buried her face against the fabric of his shirt, and he rubbed a hand up and down her back comfortingly.

Aayla’s voice broke the silence. “I’m so sorry, Ahsoka. I remember you were close.”

Ahsoka turned her head to be heard but refused to leave Rex’s arms. “She was one of my closest friends.” A small sob escaped her throat. Almost everyone she had ever loved was gone. “And you haven’t heard from anyone else at all?” She sniffled.

Aayla shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid not. We received Master Kenobi’s warning, but feared the worst after. We haven’t heard from Master Yoda, Master Windu, Master Unduli, no one. We keep wondering if someone is trying to message us on the comlink, but until it’s fixed, we won’t know. It destroys me too.”

Ahsoka rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. “Master Kenobi sent a warning?”

“Yes,” Aayla said. “After an attack on the Temple he sent a warning to any living Jedi telling them not to come back, to leave and hide and survive. That is why Bly and I decided to find a secluded planet like Batuu.”

Ahsoka wished she could have heard that message, to have been able to hear Obi-Wan’s voice one more time. “Nothing from Master Plo?”

“Last we heard, he and the Wolfpack were on Cato Neimoidia. Nothing since,” Bly answered.

Ahsoka took a deep breath and tried to absorb these losses. They were all one with the Force now, she could take some comfort in that.

The room became silent and still for some time after those revelations.

“We should rest,” Aayla urged, quietly. She stood from the couch with a helpful hand from Bly and gathered two extra pillows and blankets from their room for Rex and Ahsoka. “There’s another bed in the room beside ours. We could make up the sofa too if you’d like.”

Ahsoka opened her mouth to speak but Rex spoke faster, “Please.”

Aayla felt a small ripple of annoyance from Ahsoka and stifled a giggle. “Okay.”

The makeshift bed was made quickly and Bly and Aayla said their goodnights and went to their bedroom. Rex and Ahsoka went their separate ways to change into nightclothes.

Rex was lying down on the sofa hitting his pillow when Ahsoka’s soft footsteps neared him.

“Rex?”

He sat up when she stood in front of him. “Yes Ahsoka?”

“Can we talk?”

“Of course.”

Ahsoka took a seat beside him. He was in nothing but his blacks bottoms and she had to keep her eyes from drifting too noticeably again. That large white scar from Saleucami was even brighter in the moonslight. “I’m happy you’re alive, Rex.”

Rex’s brows furrowed. “I’m happy you’re alive, Ahsoka.”

“I’m glad you’re alive, and I’m glad you’re with me, and I’m glad we are _together_ during all of this.”

“I am too.”

“Can we always stay together, Rex?”

Rex swallowed. “Course we can. I’d like that.”

Ahsoka took his hand in hers. After all of their losses and pain, she didn’t want to wait. She needed to tell him. “We’ve been friends for years now. We’ve fought together, planned together, ate together, laughed together, cried together. I’ve been—attached—to you for years. I’ve always loved you as a friend, but I’ve newly realized… I love you as _more_ than that now.” She squeezed the hand she held. “I’ve fallen in love with you, Rex.”

Rex’s widened golden eyes met Ahsoka’s bright blue. They were so full of sincerity and love he couldn’t believe it. This young woman who has seen such horrifying things because of her wonderful abilities, who was thrown into war at such a young age, always so brave and always so resilient.

She was his best friend, like she had said. It’s very, very recently become something more, something he wants to protect even more than before, something he never wants to lose even more than before. He had never been more thankful that they had decided not to separate then he did then.

“I…” Rex trailed, nervously. He had never imagined saying these words to anyone. As a soldier he never thought he’d be _allowed_ to say them, especially not to _her_ being who she was: a Jedi and his commanding officer. But here on Batuu after that evil order… they weren’t any of those things anymore.

They were just Rex and Ahsoka. 

Rex wrapped an arm around Ahsoka’s waist, and she smiled at his touch. “I love you, Ahsoka.”

The smallest giggle of delight escaped her lips as she pulled Rex by the back of his neck so their lips could meet for the first time. The kiss was the tiniest bit awkward being it was the first kiss either of them ever had, but they quickly became comfortable and the kiss turned slow and sweet. It was perfect.

Rex ran a hand carefully down one of Ahsoka’s lekku and pulled her closer. Ahsoka moved a hand into Rex’s short blond hair. He smiled into the kiss and it brought Ahsoka more joy than she ever thought she could feel. They broke apart, smiles too wide to keep going, breathless.

Rex kissed along her forehead markings and then pecked her lips again.

Ahsoka kissed the scar on his chin and then each of his sharp cheekbones. “Rex, please don’t sleep on the couch. I don’t want you to be alone.”

“You will never have to ask me twice, ‘Soka.” He stood and offered his arm. She took it and he led them to the second bedroom. They got under the covers and Ahsoka curled into Rex’s side immediately, resting her head on his chest. She felt and heard his strong heartbeat against her montral. It was quicker than normal, and that made her melt.

Rex wrapped his arms around her securely. She kissed the underside of his jaw lazily, relishing the feel of his warm skin against her lips. She felt the love and devotion radiating from him and snuggled tighter against him. “I love you, Rex.”

Rex kissed her montral. “And I love you, _cyar’ika._ ” Ahsoka sighed happily at Rex’s use of the Mando’a name before they drifted off to sleep wrapped in each other’s warm embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you it wouldn't take long! Like I could ever make these two wait to tell each other they love each other! (Also I am impatient and it's self-indulgent, but hey. Lol.)
> 
> I always wondered if Ahsoka found out about Padmé. I imagine she would have had to, Padmé's death wasn't a secret. So, while she's definitely upset, I had that be a small reason in her telling Rex her feelings. So much loss will make you do that, I think.
> 
> And another cute hair dye convo because I can't help it. <3
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning after a meal of fruit and nuna eggs, Ahsoka rebandaged Rex’s head while Aayla rebandaged Bly’s before they hid their faces to look for work. Ahsoka cleaned up the kitchen as Aayla sat on the floor of the sitting area to meditate.

“Join me, Ahsoka.”

Ahsoka put the last dish she had washed away before she dried her hands and wordlessly walked to sit beside Aayla. She crossed her legs and closed her eyes and breathed.

It was peaceful, believe it or not. Even with all that had happened, all that was going on in the galaxy, meditating reminded her that there was still some semblance of peace.

////

Over the next few weeks, the Jedi and the troopers fell into a comfortable routine on Batuu.

Rex and Bly had found jobs as junk haulers for a droid scrap shop in the marketplace. Their new boss had been quite excited when they came in inquiring—to have two such strong and capable men on the job, he had told them. They had just snickered silently at the remarks. If only he knew.

They hadn’t wanted to work in the same place, but Batuu was slim on career choices. Rex worked a morning shift and Bly worked afternoons. They were hardly ever in the shop or moving parts at the same time so they’re identities were better hidden.

They both brought credits home every day and every few mornings Ahsoka would throw on her cloak and walk to the market with a few credits in hand. She wandered and bought their necessities. One day she had bought some seeds they could plant outside their home. Growing their own food helped save credits.

Bly spotted a seemingly salvageable ship at the scrapyard one afternoon. He knew it must have been there for a reason, so it’d need some work, but he was determined to keep an eye on it. He got a price from their boss and nodded. They’d need more credits.

Aayla had healed with the help of bacta patches. Before they had been able to purchase any, Rex had found some in the droid shop. He asked if he could have a few and his boss had graciously given him an entire medkit’s worth. Kix had taught him a few things over the years, so he had guided as Bly placed them over Aayla’s healing injuries.

Ahsoka ripped open the top she wore during the Siege of Mandalore to remove the beskar she knew Bo Katan Kryze had it lined with. She took it to the market, and after multiple reassurances that it was real, and a completely fake story about how she got it, she received far more credits than she expected.

Bly still had no luck with the comlink. It would crackle faintly, Bly would answer it carefully, but nothing ever came from it. He threw it to Rex for him to try but he had fared the same.

Ahsoka and Aayla tended to their small garden and reminisced to try and keep the memory of their masters and colleagues alive. It was still hard, it always would be, but they tried to take comfort that they were one with the Force. They eventually got Rex and Bly to join them at times and it seemed like they enjoyed it.

Every evening there’d be a few tears from any one of them but talking, reflecting—and gardening—really was helpful.

////

Rex counted up their amassed credits at the table. The metal hit the wood so many times as he moved pieces, they grew excited, especially when Rex announced, “I think we have enough to buy that ship.”

Sure enough, they did. Bly flew home the next day in a Corellian YV-666 Light Freighter that was beat up beyond belief. The engine needed work and a fuel line was leaking, plus a new coat of paint wouldn’t hurt. Ahsoka was excited to fix it up. A toolbox was thrown in with the sale, so the very next night Ahsoka got to work.

The four of them were getting used to how domestic everything was, such a change of pace from their former lifestyles, but they knew they couldn’t stay forever.

The plan was to stay a few more months.

The plan had to change.

////

Rex and Bly had a rare day of work together. Another morning worker was sick, so Bly was called in early. It’d only ever happened once or twice before. They didn’t hang around each other, only when the hauling required it, which wasn’t often.

They worked at different ends of the yard behind the shop. Rex was scraping rust off different droid legs and Bly was tossing immense amounts of shredded wire into a container to be recycled. They kept an eye on each other—and everyone else—at all times. So, the moment two new figures in shiny armor entered the yard, Rex hurried over to Bly.

“We need to leave,” Rex seethed.

“I know.”

As soon as they saw it was safe, and that they wouldn’t be seen, they each told their boss there was an emergency and they all but sprinted back to their house. 

////

Ahsoka walked through the market slowly. It was a beautiful day and she enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her back. She meandered to the outfitter stall and purchased some new clothes and shoes for the four of them.

She wandered to the fruit stand and picked up some jogan fruit. She turned to reach into her satchel she carried for the credits and caught a glimpse of shiny white plastoid down the street.

Her heart almost stopped.

She handed the vendor the credits she owed and didn’t wait for her change. She moved nonchalantly toward an alley so she could remain hidden and get a better look. Again, there was a flash of shiny white.

Troopers. In a new armor design for the new Empire.

Ahsoka’s hand reached for Rex’s DC-17 on her hip, but she stopped, suddenly feeling sick. She wondered and worried about who could be under that new helmet. Trooper armor used to make her smile, but now… now it just filled her with dread.

Ahsoka ran back to the house as fast as she could. She burst through the door and gasped out, “We can’t stay here much longer.”

Aayla rushed over from the kitchen and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Ahsoka, calm down. What did you see?”

“Troopers. _Imperial_ troopers, Aayla.”

Aayla’s eyes widened. “As soon as Bly and Rex return from work, we’ll discuss what to do. Where to go.” Her face fell. They liked it here.

Ahsoka swiftly put away what she bought and ripped off her cloak. “I need to finish the ship,” she said, determined. “That’ll be our new home.”

A small smile graced Aayla’s face. Ahsoka was right. “As long as we’re together, we’re home.”

The door opened. Aayla and Ahsoka turned toward it, hands up in defensive positions, but it was only Rex and Bly.

“What are you doing here?” Ahsoka asked as Rex enveloped her in a hug and placed a kiss on her lips. She returned it eagerly.

Bly kissed Aayla and explained, “We saw new troopers and got worried. We know you two are more than capable of protecting yourselves, but we left work early to ease our minds.”

Aayla kissed Bly’s tattoos. “Ahsoka ran home to tell me but thank you, darling.”

“Are you all right?” Rex asked as he checked Ahsoka over for any sign of injury.

“I’m fine, Rex,” Ahsoka affirmed. “Thank you. They didn’t see me at all, but the sight of them startled me. Why are they here?”

“I wonder if they’ll hang around?” Bly wondered.

“Bly, I think it best we don’t wait around to find out,” Rex advised while walking into the kitchen for a drink. Force, he missed 79’s. “We should be fine for a few more rotations. We can continue to work, get some more credits. We can stock up on supplies at the market and stock the ship.”

“Rex,” Bly’s voice was small. Aayla rubbed his back. “Do you think those… do you think they’re brothers?”

Rex hadn’t gotten that close of a look at them. But he had noticed the way they stood, the way they held their weapons. Rex looked at the floor. “I think so, Bly. _Storm_ troopers they’re apparently called now.” He scoffed, but the realization hurt immensely.

“Probably forced into it.”

“I’m not sure, Bly,” Rex said. “The chips were activated. They might always be.”

“Palpatine’s bidding,” Bly spat. His tone mellowed and he asked, “Ahsoka, how long until the ship is ready?”

She held up the toolbox in her hand. “I’m almost done.”

“Could it be finished in a few rotations with no problems?” Bly asked.

She didn’t hesitate, “Yes.”

“Where can we go?” Aayla asked.

An idea struck Rex, then. “I think I know a safe place.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is exposition-y, I know, but it's just to set up future events. It was always my intention to make them leave Batuu even though it'd be hard. (Believe me, I didn't want to leave either when I went a few months ago!) But they'll like where I'm sending them, promise!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Five rotations passed.

Rex and Bly worked their final shifts, were paid their final credits, and said goodbye to their boss. He was sad to see them leave.

Ahsoka and Aayla went to the market together one last time. They focused on clothes and personal supplies. Ahsoka purchased as much of Rex’s blond hair dye as she could, grinning as she did so.

They didn’t purchase any fruits or vegetables but stocked up on seeds. Ahsoka fitted a terrarium on the ship and they transferred the plants from their garden into it so they could grow their own produce.

Errands done, Ahsoka and Aayla walked back to the house. They spotted two more Stormtroopers as they exited the market, but the Jedi were never seen.

Bly and Rex had dinner on the table when they entered through the door. “Supplies are bought!” Ahsoka called out.

“Did anyone see you, ‘Soka?” Rex asked as he pulled out a chair for her to sit at the table.

Ahsoka pecked his cheek. “We saw two Stormtroopers, but they didn’t see us.”

“Let’s eat and pack. It’d be safer to go ahead and leave,” Bly said. “I am going to miss this place.”

Rex sighed and sat beside Ahsoka. “I will too, brother. Even with the circumstances of having to come here, this was something I— _we_ —never thought we’d experience, ya know.”

“But we will still be together,” Aayla reminded.

Bly kissed her cheek. “Yeah, we will.”

They ate and packed up their few possessions, their medkit, and their clothes. Lastly, Rex and Bly each grabbed their helmets and the four of them exited the home for the last time.

Bly lowered the ramp of the ship—the _Survivor,_ Ahsoka dubbed it—and they all made their way up into their new home.

Rex walked straight to his and Ahsoka’s quarters. He placed his bucket on the bedside table. The blue and white was bright against the gray room.

Ahsoka followed him in and saw Rex staring sadly at his bucket. She frowned and moved to wrap her arms around him, but he was quicker. He grasped her hand and pulled her close to kiss her. When he pulled away, he said, “I always thought about the day I’d hang my bucket up. I just never thought it’d be like this.”

Ahsoka cocked her head to the side. “As fugitives from the law?” She joked.

Rex couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, yeah. I always assumed I’d be decommissioned with the rest of my brothers after the war and my bucket would sit beside my bunk for the rest of my life. I _never_ would have thought…” His voice broke, “I never would have thought it’d be because I’m in hiding from the evil manipulator that destroyed my brothers’s lives.”

Ahsoka took Rex’s hand in hers. He continued, his voice steady now, “I never thought I’d be living on a freighter standing in the quarters I share with the woman I love. That woman being my former commanding officer, at that.”

“Former being the key word there, Rexster.” Ahsoka kissed him again and leaned her forehead against his. Her hand wrapped around the nape of his neck. “I’m sorry it’s not what you expected. And I’ll forever be sorry about your brothers.”

“I know.” He hugged her tightly. “Not a moment will ever go by that I will not mourn for the loss of my brothers’s minds and lives. But _cyar’ika,_ I will never be sorry that I am standing with you in our shared quarters.” He squeezed her tightly and kissed her montral then her cheek. “Now, Ahsoka, would you be my copilot?”

“Always.” She led the way out.

Aayla and Bly were already sitting in the cockpit waiting when Rex and Ahsoka entered.

“Where are we going, Captain?” Bly asked.

Rex waited for Ahsoka to sit in the copilot’s seat before he took his own. “Saleucami,” he said, and they lifted off and left Batuu behind them.

////

Rex and Ahsoka landed the freighter on Saleucami just a few klicks from a farm.

Ahsoka was surprised Rex would land so close. She gave him a questioning look and he returned it with a smile.

Rex stood quickly from the pilot’s seat and grabbed their medkit. “Please stay here until I come back and tell you it’s safe, understood?”

Bly’s face scrunched in confusion, but he dutifully answered, “Sure, Rex.”

“We will,” Ahsoka reassured.

Rex kissed Ahsoka’s lips and debarked from the ship toward the house. It’d been two years since he’d last set foot on this planet.

He ran a hand over his chest as he remembered the droid’s shot that laid him up here. He remembered how his men swiftly protected him, saved him, and how they expertly took charge after.

Kix.

Hardcase.

Jesse.

Tears welled in his eyes. He closed them to keep them at bay.

Rex had to talk to Cut first. He needed to try and explain the chip in his head. He wasn’t sure if Cut would believe him, let alone take it out, but he needed to ask. Needed to try.

The four of them wouldn’t be safe here with Cut’s chip in. Aayla and Ahsoka would both be targets.

The Lawquane home had been fixed and expanded on since the fight against the commando droids, Rex noticed. He knocked on the door and waited. He heard shuffling inside before the wooden door opened.

“Rex!” Cut exclaimed with a surprised smile once he saw him. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello Cut. A _lot_ has happened. Can we talk?”

“Yeah, Rex.” Cut stepped out of the door frame and closed it behind him. Both men sat on the front porch steps. “What’s goin’ on?”

Rex took a deep breath. He hadn’t told the whole story since it happened, and it might sound unfathomable to Cut. He hadn’t believed it at first either. “Have you felt any different recently?” Any specific thoughts against anyone?”

Cut shook his head. “Not at all.”

Thank the Force. “The Republic has fallen.”

“I knew that,” Cut said, not unkindly.

Rex continued, “The Jedi are dead. The clones turned against them.”

“They _what_?”

“The Kaminoans put organic chips in all of our heads when we were only embryos.” Rex pointed to the white scar on the right side of his head, visible even through his short, blond hair. “Those chips were designed to turn us into weapons against the Jedi.”

“Get it out.”

Rex leaned back, surprised. “What was that?”

“This chip,” Cut spat, “get it out. I trust you, Rex. If you say there’s a kriffing _mind control_ chip in my head, I want it out.”

Rex silently laid out the medkit to pull out a laser scalpel, numbing spray, a skin sealant, and a bandage. He pictured exactly where his own scar was and sprayed. Once Cut assured he couldn’t feel anything, Rex carefully took the scalpel and broke the skin of Cut’s head.

Ahsoka had to use the Force to find his. He wished she were here now, but he’d never risk what could happen to her with Cut’s chip still implanted.

Rex located the chip and carefully grabbed it with tweezers. He pulled it straight out carefully and dropped the offensive thing on the ground. He sealed Cut’s head up and secured the bandage on him.

Cut crushed the evil chip with his boot. “Thank you, Rex. I may never have known. That tiny chip made clones turn against the Jedi?”

Rex looked down sadly. “Yes. An order was given, and all of our brothers turned against the Jedi.”

“All but one,” Cut reminded him.

“All but two, actually,” Rex said. “Another of our brothers is with me, along with two surviving Jedi. That’s why I came alone first. I couldn’t risk their lives.”

Cut clapped Rex on the shoulder. “I completely understand. Are you on the run?”

“Fugitives.”

“Well, you’ll be safe here. Go ahead and bring your friends. I’ll let Suu know, she won’t mind. She’ll be happy to see you.”

Rex leaned forward to hug Cut. “Thank you, _Vod_.”

“You’re more than welcome, brother.”

////

Ahsoka, Bly, and Aayla stayed in the cockpit as they waited for Rex. Bly fiddled with the comlink. It still wouldn’t work beyond a crackle. “I wonder who lives here?”

“I don’t know, Bly.” Aayla took her husband’s hand. “But Rex must know and trust them.”

“And I trust Rex bringing us here,” Ahsoka said.

A small chuckle escaped Bly. “Course you would. Don’t worry, we do too.”

As soon as Bly finished speaking, Ahsoka caught sight of Rex outside the viewport. “He’s back.” She ran to lower the ramp so Rex could join them. Bly and Aayla followed behind her.

Rex marched up the ramp. He held his hand out for Ahsoka’s and she grabbed it. “There’s someone I want you all to meet. He said we’ll be safe at his home.”

That was all Ahsoka, Aayla, and Bly needed to know. Ahsoka waved her hand toward the cockpit. “Take us there, Rexster.”

They only had to hover to get to the farm, landing just a few meters shy. They left their things onboard so they could sleep there instead of being burdens to their host.

Rex led the way to the house with Ahsoka’s hand in his. Bly and Aayla followed hand in hand behind them. Rex knocked on the door of the home and Cut answered again. He and Rex actually laughed at the other three’s expressions.

“Hello,” Cut greeted, cheerfully. “My name is Cut Lawquane.”

Ahsoka’s hand flew to her mouth.

Aayla whispered, “All the stars…”

Bly moved away from Aayla to hug Cut abruptly. His voice broke as he whispered, “It’s good to see you, brother.”

Cut squeezed Bly back tightly. “Welcome to my home. Please come inside,” He urged and gestured through the door. The couples entered and were greeted by three Twi’leks.

Cut pointed to the young girl sitting on the floor. Her eyes were large with glee as she waved at the visitors. “That is my daughter Shaeeah.” Cut then pointed to the little boy on a chair behind her. “That’s my son, Jek.” Jek waved too and Aayla waved back at them both.

Cut walked over to the woman on the sofa. He kissed the top of her head lovingly. “And this is my beautiful wife, Suu.”

“Hello,” Suu said, sweetly. She addressed Rex, “It is good to see you again, Captain.”

“Just Rex, ma’am, please,” He said. “It’s nice to see you all again. Thank you for allowing us into your home.”

Shaeeah jumped up. “We always help anyone we can!” She cheeped, brightly.

Cut and Rex gave her an identical smile before Rex introduced the others. “This is Bly and Aayla.” He pointed at them and then settled a hand on Ahsoka’s shoulder. She grinned at his touch. Rex’s voice was warm—something that did not go unnoticed by Cut—when he said, “And this is Ahsoka. She and Aayla are Jedi. Please don’t—”

“We would never tell anyone, Rex,” Suu reassured. She changed her sitting position slightly, moving a small bundle in her arms as she did so.

“Oh!” Cut exclaimed. “Let me introduce you to our son, Dral.” He moved the blanket to show the baby’s face. His skin was pale pink with tan undertones and his eyes opened wide.

Ahsoka’s jaw dropped and Aayla gasped in delight. Rex and Bly stared at the little one for a few moments before slowly turning to look at each other in disbelief.

“Isn’t our baby brother beautiful?” Shaeeah asked them.

“He absolutely is, Shaeeah,” Ahsoka breathed.

Jek yelled, “Nerra!” excitedly, and Aayla’s heart sung at the word.

“Nerra,” she and Suu responded in unison. Aayla was overjoyed to hear her native tongue.

Rex and Bly still stared, flabbergasted. “Rex, did you know that—that we—that we could—"

“No! Did _you_ know that we could—that we were able to have…”

“Never.”

“You outranked me, Bly. You really had no idea?”

“I really didn’t. I…”

Cut laughed at them. “ _I_ didn’t know it was possible either, men. Dral was a surprise.”

Suu snuggled the baby closer to her. “A surprise and a blessing. A _bright_ blessing, just like his name.” 

“Unbelievable,” Rex breathed.

Bly shook his head. “I _never_ would have thought the Kaminoans would let it be a possibility for us.”

“Most likely,” Rex began, “they simply assumed none of us would ever _know_ it was possible.”

“Well, we do now.” Bly winked at Aayla. She rolled her eyes fondly and left his side to get a closer look at Dral.

Suu scooted down to the end of the sofa to allow Aayla to sit for a better view.

“May I hold him?” Aayla asked.

Suu set the baby in Aayla’s arms carefully and sat back to watch.

Aayla cooed at Dral in Basic and Twi’leki and he opened his eyes again. “Oh, Ahsoka, that beautiful gold we love so much,” Aayla gushed. “Come see.”

Ahsoka squeezed Rex’s arm lovingly and sat beside Aayla. Shaeeah hopped up onto Ahsoka’s lap and Jek crawled onto his mother’s as they admired the baby. Rex, Bly, and Cut watched them with hearts so full of love they all thought they might burst.

“Aunt Ahsoka,” Shaeeah said. “Do you want to hold him?”

Ahsoka smiled broadly at her new title. “I’d like to Shaeeah, yes.”

“Let Aunt Aayla finish her turn first!” Jek chided his sister.

“It’s all right, Jek. Ahsoka can hold him now.” Aayla handed Dral to Ahsoka and she got to see his eyes for herself.

And just like Aayla had said, they were that beautiful golden-brown that she loved so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Deserter is one of my absolute favorite Clone Wars episodes. The Lawquane family brings me so much joy, so of course Ahsoka, Bly, and Aayla HAD to meet them! In canon, I believe since Cut never actually heard the Order he'd never be affected, but seeing a Jedi... I don't know. So I had Rex take care of the chip. 
> 
> Dral is Mando'a for bright, glowing, strong, powerful. I've spent quite a bit of time looking at Mando'a dictionaries, and that stuck out to me as something Cut and Suu would like. Rex and Bly's back and forth banter about being able to father children is possibly my favorite thing I have ever written. Lol. I know in the Legends Republic Commando books (which are all currently on my "to be read" pile as I type this) they can.
> 
> And those golden-brown eyes... I know how Ahsoka and Aayla feel, they always get me too. <3
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

That night after the children were tucked into bed and Bly and Aayla went back to the ship, Ahsoka helped Suu clean up the kitchen while Rex and Cut talked in the living room.

Rex took a sip of warm tarine tea. “Thank you again for all this, Cut.”

“Thank you, Rex, for taking that chip out of my head. No one really ever knew?”

Rex winced. “Umm, one brother did. His name was Fives. A good soldier. A good man. A good friend. One of the best. He tried to tell me and our general, but… neither of us believed him.”

Cut sighed at the thought of that fallen brother. He’d make sure to always remember the name Fives.

Rex continued, “He found out and was killed for it. I reported on it after it happened. That report saved Ahsoka’s life. When the order went out, I was able to warn her, able to tell her to find it—to find Fives. She found the report and knocked me out to get my chip out. After it was done, I—I fired on our brothers.”

“To protect Ahsoka,” Cut stated.

“Yeah. And Bly was able to fight the chip for Aayla. He also fired on his own men. I’ll never forget or forgive myself.”

Cut set his cup of meiloorun juice down. “Rex, you and Bly both did it to protect the women you love. I would have done the same for Suu.”

“I know.”

Ahsoka entered the living room quietly. She caressed Rex’s cheek so he’d look at her, then kissed him sweetly. “I’m going to the ship for the night.”

Rex pecked her lips again. “I’ll join you soon.” His eyes followed her until she was out the door. He looked back at Cut who was grinning at him.

“What?”

“You know exactly what.” Cut pointed at the dining table in the kitchen. “When you sat there three years ago you were the consummate soldier. Now you’re here and you’re the most lovestruck man I’ve ever met.” Rex opened his mouth but Cut carried on, “It’s nice to see. I just never would have expected it from the man who recovered in my barn.”

Cut was right. The man Rex was three years ago was completely different from the one who sat before him now. “You’re right,” Rex simply agreed.

“But that’s not a bad thing,” Cut said. “Was she a Padawan?”

“Yes. Her master was my general, she was my commander. My friend. We fought side by side for years. She actually left the Jedi Order but came back before the fall of the Republic. We were together for the battle on Mandalore, and then… everything happened. We’ve been together ever since. The way I felt about her changed and intensified so suddenly. That power is… immense.”

“It is indeed,” Cut agreed with a glance at Suu.

“I love her, Cut. I more than understand now everything you said to me then.”

“That’s against the rules, ya know.”

Rex barked a laugh. “Damn those rules.”

“Hear hear, Rex.” Cut raised his glass and Rex clinked his against it.

Rex swallowed before he asked, “Cut, do you think Suu would help me with something?”

Suu walked into the room at the mention of her name. “I’d gladly help you with something for Ahsoka.”

“How did you—?”

“I just do, Rex. What do you need?”

////

Ahsoka woke the next morning to the sound of birds outside the ship. The warm body next to her held her in his arms securely. Rex had been late coming to bed, she knew he must have been catching up with Cut. Ahsoka still couldn’t get over how amazing it was that Cut had lived like this for years.

She rolled on her side and ran her fingers through Rex’s blond hair, it was longer than ever before. She continued down to his sharp cheekbones, the dark stubble on his face. His eyelashes were so beautiful. She hummed in contentment and brushed her lips against his chin. Rex stirred at the touch. She whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Don’t worry _cyar’ika.”_ His eyes blinked lazily. Sleep was still evident in his voice.

Ahsoka kept her voice quiet. “I’m just thinking about Cut and his family. You met him three years ago?”

“When I got shot in the chest by that commando droid.” Ahsoka kissed that scar sweetly as Rex carried on, “Kix, Jesse, and Hardcase found the farm and asked Suu if they could patch me up here. Apparently, she pulled a slugthrower on them.”

“I can picture that,” Ahsoka said. “Cut didn’t say anything about you staying?”

“He wasn’t home,” Rex told her. “He arrived later that night and found me. He disarmed me, believe it or not, and asked me what I was doing there. As soon as I saw his face, I knew he was a deserter. I was disappointed in him, frustrated. I couldn’t understand. Jek and Shaeeah were the reason we actually talked civilly, they invited me into the house for dinner. That led to an important conversation about duty.”

“You never turned him in,” Ahsoka realized.

“No, and I never would have. Now _I’m_ a deserter,” Rex said, sadly.

Ahsoka gave him a hard look. “You’re a _survivor,_ Rex.”

He ran a thumb over a white cheek marking. “So are you. I thought he was a coward when I first met him. I was so wrong. He’d fight till his last breath to protect his family.”

“Maybe he was smarter than both of us,” Ahsoka pondered aloud.

Rex blinked as he digested her words. “Maybe…” He sighed deeply. “Maybe… more people would still be alive if there had been more deserters like him. Like _us._ I mean, Cut finding and staying with the one he loves? I can understand that completely.” Rex captured Ahsoka’s lips with his own. She purred into his mouth and he kissed her harder.

The sound of Aayla talking to Bly in the ship’s corridor brought them back. It was distorted through the wall. “We’re going to help out in the fields while we’re here, Bly.”

Ahsoka broke the kiss. “It’s only fair,” Ahsoka agreed even though they couldn’t hear her in the corridor. She and Rex rolled out of bed and got dressed for the day.

They walked into the house and received an animated wave from Shaeeah. “Good morning Uncle Rex and Aunt Ahsoka!”

“Good morning _ad’ika,_ ” Ahsoka skillfully said as she helped Suu in the kitchen. “Thank you again, Suu, for everything. For dinner tonight we’ll use vegetables from the ship since we added more mouths to feed.”

“If that’s what you wish, Ahsoka,” Suu agreed. “But please do not act like you are a burden, it’s a pleasure to have you all here. I just wish it were under better circumstances.”

“So do I.” Ahsoka glanced at Rex laughing with Jek. Even in laughter his eyes had a subtle sorrow to them. She was sure she, Aayla, and Bly did as well. It’d probably never go away.

“If it weren’t for Rex we might not be here right now,” Suu said.

Ahsoka silently raised an eyebrow marking at her.

Suu looked shocked. “He never told you?”

Ahsoka shook her head and Suu continued, “the last time he was here he helped Cut slaughter twenty of those commando droids that attacked our home. There was some damage to the house, but that didn’t matter. The two of them kept me and the children safe. Our men are remarkably brave.”

“He always has been,” Ahsoka beamed, proudly. She and Suu set plates of nuna eggs in front of everyone.

Aayla waited as she held Dral but ate after Bly took the baby from her.

Golden eyes met golden eyes. “Such a handsome fella. Rex you haven’t held him yet. You want him?” Bly asked.

Rex held his hands up. “He’s sweet, but I don’t know. I’ve never—”

“I haven’t either, Rex, but I am now. It’s pretty easy.”

Rex’s eyes shifted nervously.

“I’ll help you,” Ahsoka reassured.

Rex looked at her bright blue eyes, her blinding smile. “You will?” He mouthed to her. At her gentle nod of confirmation, he agreed. He really did want to.

Bly handed Dral over to Rex carefully. Ahsoka adjusted the baby in Rex’s arms so he could really look at him. Again, golden eyes met golden eyes. The baby gurgled at Rex and smiled; Rex returned it happily.

Ahsoka rubbed Rex’s back and then Dral’s head. Lekku buds hit against her fingers as she touched the baby’s soft skin. “Did you never hold any of your younger brothers, Rex?” She asked.

“No,” Rex said. “At this age they were still in acceleration chambers. I didn’t hold any brothers until they were older.”

Ahsoka cringed at the implications of those words but steadied her voice. “Well, now you’re holding your nephew.”

Rex’s eyes glazed over with unshed tears. “I am. Thank you Cut and Suu.”

Aayla’s comlink crackled suddenly. Bly ran over to it and answered cautiously. “Hello?” But there was no response. He growled in anger and sat back down at the table. “I don’t understand this. It keeps happening. They had to search for this frequency. Why make contact then remain silent?”

“Maybe they weren’t expecting an answer, Bly,” Aayla suggested. “They might not know who they’re talking to.”

“That makes me anxious. If it’s someone against us and they figure out who we are we could be in trouble, Aayla.”

She put her hand on Bly’s arm to help ease his nerves. “If someone knows we’re alive and wants to contact us they’ll find a way. The Force will allow it. Rex and Ahsoka found us with no contact whatsoever, the Force wanted us together.” She pointed at the comlink. “If that is supposed to happen with someone else, it will.”

Bly set the comm on the table and Aayla kissed his tattoos. “Now let’s help Cut out in the field, yes?”

“You really don’t have to help me, it’s all right,” Cut said.

“Nonsense,” Rex said as he stood and handed Dral to Suu. He clapped Cut on the back. “We’re a hindrance, so we’re going to help”

“You are not a hindrance,” Cut scoffed and waved for everyone to follow him out the door. They followed and stood in front of the Lawquanes’s crops. Cut hurried into the barn and returned with tools for them all.

Rex pointed at Cut. “Didn’t you try to kill me with one of those?” he asked, laughing.

Cut quirked a brow. “Might have. But you’re still here, aren’t ya?” He threw it at Rex, and it was caught effortlessly. For the others he just handed them out. “Take these and slash at the bottom of the crop swiftly. Once the crops fall, we’ll collect them and put everything by the barn.”

“You got it,” Bly said.

The five split up to cover more ground and went to work. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cut and Rex have one of my favorite dynamics in the whole series, so I, of course, wanted to mirror their first conversation here. 
> 
> Rex is quite the humble man (besides the tally marks. Lol.) I don't think he'd tell Ahsoka about helping to save the Lawquane family whether it had to be a secret or not. So I wanted Suu to tell her.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

After a day in the fields and helping Suu make dinner with the help of the ship terrarium’s vegetables, everyone sat down at the table for dinner.

As they ate and chatted, the comlink went off again. All heads turned as Bly shot up to grab it. “Hello?” he asked for the second time that day. He held it close and heard: _“Hel—this is—"_ before it went silent again. Bly’s eyes closed in frustration.

“Remember what I told you this morning, darling,” Aayla reminded.

“I know. I’m going to take a closer look at this thing.”

Ahsoka leaned against Rex from her seat beside him. Dral was in her arms. She quietly hummed a sweet melody for the baby. Rex thought it sounded familiar. “What are you humming, ‘Soka?”

“A Mandalorian lullaby I heard once,” Ahsoka told him. “I don’t know the words, but I remember the tune. I thought he might like it.”

Rex’s heart swelled at her thoughtfulness. He made a decision in that moment. “Suu?”

Suu turned toward him. “Yes Rex?”

“Where did you put—?”

Suu’s eyes widened. “It’s under the sofa. I knew it’d be safe there.”

Rex stood from the table—careful not to jostle Ahsoka and the baby—to retrieve it. Ahsoka handed the baby to Cut as Rex sat back down. Ahsoka gave Rex a blinding smile as he took her hands and brought one to his lips to place a soft kiss against her palm. “I love you, Ahsoka.”

“I love you too, Rex.”

“I’m thankful for your friendship and for your love, for your strength, your spirit, your warmth, and your protectiveness. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. I’d be… I’d be with my brothers. Either dead or brainwashed.”

Ahsoka ran a comforting hand through Rex’s hair and he continued, “But I’m not. I’m _here_ with _you_ and I’d like us to always stay that way.”

“So would I.” Ahsoka kissed his lips.

They broke apart and Rex looked surprisingly nervous. “A lot has happened over the past few weeks and our way of living is forever going to be challenging, but…” Rex let go of her hands and pulled out what Suu had helped him make: It was a headband. Brown leather with metal accents and in the center, a smooth stone he had purchased on Batuu.

A small gasp came from Ahsoka as she admired the piece of jewelry. It was a lovely band.

Rex took a deep breath and held the band out to her. “Ahsoka Tano, would you say the vow with me?”

Ahsoka’s eyes filled with tears and one hand flew to her chest. The other went to Rex’s cheek. She nodded her confirmation silently and Rex leaned his forehead against hers.

Rex and Ahsoka’s voices were both thick with emotion as they said the vow in perfect unison.

_“Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar’tome, mhi me’dinui an, mhi ba’juri verde.”_

We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise warriors.

Rex carefully cupped Ahsoka’s back lek and pulled her toward him. Their lips met and they sealed their vow as tears of joy rolled down both their cheeks. Ahsoka cradled Rex’s face in her hands, her thumbs gliding over his cheekbones.

They were married.

After their kiss, Rex replaced the band Ahsoka had been wearing since Mandalore with the one he designed. He set it carefully on her head amidst cheers and claps from their family.

“It’s beautiful, Rex.” Ahsoka kissed him again.

A light blush colored Rex’s cheeks. “I’m happy you like it.”

“Now we’re just three married couples sitting around a table,” Cut joked. He raised his cup from dinner. “To the Tanos!”

“To the Tanos!” Everyone else echoed, merrily.

Aayla gave Bly a look and he nodded. She addressed the newlyweds, “It’s getting late. I think Bly and I will stay in the house tonight. Have the ship to yourselves.”

Ahsoka’s lekku darkened as Rex stood and held his hand out to her. She accepted it and they said their goodnights and walked to the ship.

They entered their quarters and Ahsoka’s lips were on Rex’s before the door even closed. One of her hands was at the nape of his neck, the other on his chest. Rex kissed her back fiercely. He squeezed a hand down one of her lekku and Ahsoka gasped into their kiss. Rex removed his hand immediately. He was breathless. “I’m sorry.”

Ahsoka gripped his bicep. “Don’t be. Do it again.”

Rex captured her lips and slowly dragged his hands down her lekku again. Never breaking the kiss, Ahsoka hopped up and Rex caught her effortlessly. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he held her there with one arm. He carried her over to their bed and laid her down on it.

He crawled over her, trailing kisses up the exposed skin of her arms as he did so. She tugged at the hemline of his shirt and ripped it over his head to throw it unceremoniously on the floor. She ran both hands over the white scars on his chest and kissed the largest one. The one he got right here on this planet.

She kissed his chest and then the hollow of his throat and his chin. “I love you, Rex.”

“I love you, Ahsoka,” he breathed before he kissed each of her montrals and every white marking on her face before he found his way back to her lips hungrily and her hands dug into his blond hair.

////

Rex and Ahsoka awoke late the next morning. Ahsoka snuggled against her husband’s bare chest. Even in his sleep she could feel how peaceful he was. It was such a nice change. He yawned and pulled her closer to him. “Sleep well, _cyar’ika_?”

“That would be quite the understatement, Rex.” She giggled. “We slept the morning away.”

“We’re newlyweds, I believe we’re allowed to.” Rex kissed her thoroughly before they got dressed and walked hand in hand to the house.

They were greeted cheerfully by everyone.

Bly rushed over to them. “The comm went off just a few minutes ago. It’s a man’s voice, but we still have no name or info.”

“Are you working on contacting them back?” Ahsoka asked as she poured two cups of caf. She handed one to Rex who kissed her cheek as he accepted it.

Aayla sighed. “We tried. There’s never a response.”

“But you can hear more now?” Rex asked and took a sip of his caf. He grabbed a piece of toast from a plate on the table. “It’s a man’s voice? Well, what does he sound like?”

“It’s not a brother,” Bly said, sadly.

“Then that narrows it down a bit.” Ahsoka tried to sound encouraging. “Is it possible it could be another—?”

“The voice doesn’t belong to any Jedi I knew of, sadly.” Aayla patted Ahsoka on the back in comfort.

Shaeeah appeared suddenly and grabbed Ahsoka’s arm. “Aunt Ahsoka, Aunt Aayla, you haven’t been out to the barn yet, do you want to come with me?”

The two Jedi made eye contact and nodded. “We’d love to, Shaeeah,” Ahsoka said. “Lead the way.”

Shaeeah grabbed both of them by the hand and led them into the barn to show off the eopies. She babbled about everything and nothing as Ahsoka and Aayla petted the sweet creatures. “Do you want us to help you feed them, Shaeeah?” Aayla asked.

“No thank you, that’s my job.” Shaeeah grabbed metal buckets and filled them with feed. She gave each animal a bucket and a pat on the head as she walked past doing her chore. Each eopie had a name and Shaeeah called them all as she fed them. Aayla and Ahsoka smiled and listened intently as she went.

“They like you both,” Shaeeah squeaked. “They liked Uncle Rex the first time he came here too, when he was hurt. I’m glad he’s all better now.”

Ahsoka patted her head affectionately. “I am too, Shaeeah.”

“Aayla! Ahsoka!” Bly’s voice cut through the air causing them all to jump.

The girls ran back to the house and burst through the door. “What’s wrong?”

Rex answered Ahsoka calmly to ease her nerves. “Nothing’s wrong, _cyar’ika._ ”

“The comm is working. I made some adjustments when you two were in the barn.” Bly explained. He brought the device closer to his mouth. “Sir, could you repeat yourself?”

_“This is Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan. Hello Ahsoka, Hello Aayla. It is wonderful to know you’re alive.”_

“Senator Organa,” Ahsoka whispered. “It’s great to hear you.”

“ _I know it’s taken some time, but now that we’ve made contact, we can stay in contact. I’ll keep your frequency safe and no one will ever know unless I want them to. We can continue to comm each other as long as we’re careful. Are you all somewhere I could talk openly?”_

“Yes sir,” Rex answered.

“Senator, we are in a very safe place. You can contact us as you need,” Aayla responded.

_“Understood. I have some things I’d like to discuss with you soon. Organa out.”_

“ _How_ did he contact us?” Ahsoka asked in disbelief. Hearing another voice from before the Purge was something she didn’t think would ever happen again.

Rex shrugged. “Not sure. He didn’t tell us how he did. Maybe he tried every Jedi comlink frequency he could remember.”

“He might have found us sooner; but remember my comm was damaged on Felucia. Bly having to fix it was a setback. But now it’s fine, so there shouldn’t be any delays now.”

The comm beeped again and instead of a person on the other end it was patched-in holonews. They listened as a droid anchor droned on:

_“There was a bombing today on a Kashyyyk Imperial Base. There were multiple casualties but no fatalities. The Empire—”_

And then the news abruptly cut off.

Rex and Bly eyed each other. “Who has the guts to bomb an Imperial Base?” Rex asked.

“I don’t know, Rexster.” Ahsoka said. “But I admire them.”

////

Bail contacted them again late that night. On the _Survivor,_ Rex and Ahsoka were in the galley when they heard the chime. Bly rushed to them, Aayla right behind him. Bly answered it. “Senator?”

_“Yes. Are you still safe?”_

“Yes, and have been for weeks,” Ahsoka reassured.

_“Of course. The four of you are survivors, for which I am thankful. I have a request.”_

“What would you like, Senator?” Bly asked.

_“I’d like you to make contact with someone, but not by comlink. You’ll travel to the planet they are on and visit them.”_

“Who?” Rex asked.

_“I cannot tell you. I need to talk to them to finalize details. If you decide to go, that is.”_

“We do love it here, but if you want us to meet someone, we trust you and we’ll do it,” Ahsoka said.

_“I will contact you with coordinates next rotation.”_

“Goodbye Senator.” Bly clicked off the comm. “Guess we should prepare to leave.”

“We’ll say our goodbyes tomorrow, then.” Rex sighed. This was going to be hard. Ahsoka sensed his sadness and squeezed his forearm. “But it’s probably best to leave anyway, keep the Lawquanes safe.”

Ahsoka rested her head against Rex’s shoulder. “We can always come back someday, Rex.”

“I wonder where Bail wants us to go?” Aayla asked and Bly shook his head.

“Not sure, but I trust him,” Bly said.

Everyone agreed and parted ways for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Mandalorian Marriage Vow is SO gorgeous it's not even funny. I LOVE it. 
> 
> The headband Rex made to propose with is Ahsoka's Rebels headband. I tried to make that clear, but I'm clarifying just in case it wasn't. Her Rebels headpiece is actually my favorite so I wanted to include it. <3
> 
> Sadly, they will be leaving the Lawquanes soon, but I'm excited for where they'll go next!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, Rex explained the late night comm conversation to the Lawquanes over breakfast. They wanted to tell Cut and Suu right away and they listened thoughtfully. Rex caught a frown flick across Cut’s face. “So, we’ll be leaving once the Senator contacts us again.”

Cut nodded. “Understood, brother. You all do what’s right for you.” He wrapped an arm around Suu’s shoulders. “We’ll still be here.”

“Good. I’m glad you will be.” Rex smiled and stood to help start helping in the field but the comm went off.

Aayla stood near it, holding baby Dral. She answered it. “Senator?”

_“Hello Aayla. I’m sending you the coordinates right now. The planet is in the Outer Rim and my contact knows you are coming, but only you, Aayla. I told him it was your comlink. He is not expecting all of you, so it will be a pleasant surprise for him.”_

“We’ll leave right away, Senator.”

_“Very good. Safe travels.”_

“Well,” Rex murmured. “I guess we’ll be leaving now.”

Ahsoka gave Rex an inquisitive glance. “Why keep us all a secret?”

Aayla kissed Dral’s head and handed the baby to Ahsoka. “Senator Organa must have his reasons. I want to know who we’re meeting.”

“I trust Bail,” Ahsoka said.

“I do too,” Aayla reassured. “I’m not worried, I just find it strange.”

“Maybe it’s best for who we’re meeting to find out in person,” Rex suggested.

“Then it has to be someone we know,” Bly said. “It’s sooner than we were expecting, but are we ready?”

The other three nodded. Ahsoka snuggled Dral close to her and handed the baby to Rex so he could do the same. He hugged him to his chest tightly and passed him to Bly who gave him a gentle squeeze as well before passing Dral to his mother.

Shaeeah hugged all four of them tightly. A tiny tear slid down her cheek as she did so. Jek wanted to be picked up by Rex and Bly for his hugs and they obliged lovingly. Once back on the ground he curled his small arms as best he could around Ahsoka and Aayla’s legs.

Suu hugged everyone goodbye as best she could with Dral in her arms. She beamed at them. “I am overjoyed I got to meet you Ahsoka, Aayla, and Bly. I just wish it had been under happier circumstances.”

Cut hugged Bly and Rex as long as he could. He clapped each of them on the back. “Remember,” he said as he let Rex go, “you’re always welcome to stay.”

“Thank you Cut, Suu, for everything,” Rex said.

Suu touched Rex’s shoulder. “Thank you for helping with the crops and providing produce for us, though you didn’t have to.”

“We wanted to, Suu,” Rex said. “And I promise we’ll keep in touch, and hopefully be back someday.”

With that promise, Rex took Ahsoka’s hand and they walked out the door with Bly and Aayla behind them. They walked to the ship as choruses of “Goodbye! Safe trip! Bye Uncle Rex and Aunt Ahsoka! Bye Aunt Aayla and Uncle Bly!” rang behind them. They turned and waved one last time before they trudged up the ramp of the _Survivor_.

They went straight to the cockpit. Aayla took the pilot’s seat and Ahsoka took copilot. Rex and Bly were perfectly content sitting behind them.

Aayla punched in the coordinates Bail sent to the comm. “Tatooine.”

Ahsoka leaned over to see the screen. “Where?”

“Tatooine. A desert planet.”

“That was Anakin’s home world.”

“That’s right. I do remember him mentioning his troubling childhood,” Aayla remembered. “Intriguing.”

“I’ve been there once. It’s… harsh,” Ahsoka said as they lifted off the ground toward the stars.

////

They avoided the spaceports and touched down right outside Bail’s coordinates.

Tatooine was barren, nothing to see but sand. The only visible building was the hut they landed a few meters away from. An eopie wandered around inside a fence outside the hut.

Aayla led as they disembarked down the ramp of the ship. Rex looked around the sandy plain with his scopes as he followed but found nothing of import except the hut.

They heard movement beside them. Ever the fighters, they turned aggressively, but were met with a man exiting his hut into the suns. He wore a tan tunic with matching pants and his temples were marked with gray.

Ahsoka cupped her hands around her mouth to project her voice. “Obi-Wan!”

His head shot up at the familiar voice and he caught sight of the four of them standing together. The astronomical shock of seeing them was nothing compared to how ecstatic he was knowing they were alive. Bail had only mentioned Aayla when they last spoke, so when he felt the five new Force signatures touch down by his home, he was curious. He _never_ expected this.

He called back to her, his voice full of delight, “Ahsoka!” He ran to meet her and caught her in his arms for a tight hug. “I had feared the worst after—”

“I know,” she said as she patted his back before letting him go to gesture at Rex, Aayla, and Bly. “We all did, too.”

“It is so wonderful to see you all.” Obi-Wan hugged the others and invited them inside. He turned to Rex. “Is there anyone else on the ship, Rex?”

“No sir,” Rex answered automatically. “Err—no, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan gave Rex a sad smile at his slip.

They congregated in the living area. Obi-Wan’s hut wasn’t terribly small, but it seemed it with all of them in it. He seemed to live a quiet, perhaps content life, but it had to be lonely.

“How did you survive?” Obi-Wan asked. He knew the question was loaded and hard to discuss, but he needed to know. “Aayla, last I knew you were off to Felucia. What happened?”

Bly grasped Aayla’s hand as she explained what happened. “Bly took the other men out and I was able to remove his chip with the help of the Force.”

“And you, Ahsoka?”

“Rex had been able to tell me about Fives. When I found the information on his death and understood what was happening with my men, I searched for Rex and kind of—well, I knocked him out and dragged him to the medical bay. I located his chip with the Force and had it removed. Together we fought our way into a hangar and were able to escape the ship in a Y-Wing before it crashed into a moon. No one else survived.”

Rex rubbed Ahsoka’s back comfortingly as they relived that turmoil.

“Maul escaped too.” A hard look of anger flashed across Obi-Wan’s face but Ahsoka knew it wasn’t directed at her. “I’m sorry.”

Obi-Wan held up a hand. “Don’t be, Ahsoka. I’m simply glad you are safe. All of you are safe.”

“We wouldn’t be if it weren’t for each other.” Rex said and took Ahsoka’s hand in his.

Obi-Wan caught the gesture and looked from their entwined hands to their faces. The smallest chuckle escaped him. He pointed at Ahsoka’s band. “That is a lovely new headpiece, Ahsoka. Where did you get it?”

She smiled sheepishly at her grand master and touched the smooth leather of the band on her head. “Rex gave it to me.”

Obi-Wan’s tone was light, playful. “Was it for any occasion in particular?”

“It was a wedding gift.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “I… never had any idea.”

“We really didn’t ourselves either until… until everything happened,” she explained.

“Well, congratulations you two.”

“Thank you,” Rex and Ahsoka answered together.

“Obi-Wan, what happened to Cody?” Rex had to know.

Obi-Wan sighed deeply. “He and my men fired on me on Utapau—but missed, obviously. I fell into a body of water. They assumed I was dead. Cody’s alive, but he’s—”

“Gone. He’s gone,” Rex finished for him.

“General.” The title fell out of Bly’s mouth automatically. At Obi-Wan’s eyebrow raise he corrected himself. “Obi-Wan, why did Senator Organa send us here?”

Obi-Wan scratched his chin thoughtfully. A familiar gesture that Ahsoka had missed. “Senator Bail Organa is one of only two who know that I am here on Tatooine, as well as _why_ I’m here. He wanted to be sure you were somewhere safe as I explained something to you.”

“Obi-Wan, why _are_ you here?” Aayla asked. “We received your message; we knew you were alive. But why Tatooine?”

The Jedi ran a hand through his graying hair and blew out a harsh breath. “I am here to watch over a child. A baby boy.”

Confusion crossed the faces of his friends as they listened intently. 

“That boy is Luke Skywalker,” Obi-Wan told them.

Ahsoka’s blue eyes almost doubled in size. “What?”

“Padmé was pregnant. I’m certain you knew of their relationship. Rex did.”

Ahsoka’s emotions made her voice falter. “I had an inkling—maybe a little more than an inkling—but I never knew that—Anakin had a son?”

“And a daughter,” Obi-Wan clarified. “Padmé died shortly after giving birth to twins.”

“Where is she? The daughter?” Ahsoka asked.

“She’s on Alderaan with Bail and Queen Breha. He, Master Yoda, and I thought it best to separate them to hide them from… from Vader. Ahsoka, I’m so sorry.”

Ahsoka paled.

No.

She violently shook her head back and forth.

No. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t. He would never. The last she saw him he was off to save the Chancellor.

The Emperor.

She ran her hands over her face as tears assaulted her eyes. She thought back to the vision she had on the Venator _,_ what she had heard…

No.

“Anakin _is_ Vader, isn’t he?” She searched her feelings. She knew it to be true. But still nothing prepared her for Obi-Wan’s silent nod of affirmation.

Rex crushed Ahsoka to his chest as a pitiful sob escaped her and she wept. He held her as tightly as he could, but it was still not tight enough. Tears of his own rolled down his cheeks and onto her lekku.

All Obi-Wan could do was stare at the floor of his hut in his own silent pain. The heartbreak he had just caused his grand Padawan was devastating. He, more than anyone, understood. But she deserved to know. He had failed Anakin, and in doing so he failed her. “I am so sorry,” he whispered again.

Aayla stared at Obi-Wan, mouth agape. “I never would have imagined Anakin was capable of something so—”

“Evil,” Bly finished for his wife.

“Neither would I, Aayla.” Obi-Wan muttered. “Which makes it all the more calamitous. I _tried_ to get him to see the light again, but he was too far gone. Palpatine had corrupted him.

“After Anakin’s fall, his children were the priority. I am watching over Luke, but he’s with his Aunt and Uncle—Anakin’s stepbrother and wife. Luke is safe. They both are.”

Ahsoka’s sobs turned into sniffles. She was glad the babies would be safe. A little Skyguy and Skygirl. That thought was endearing, and the briefest smile broke through her tears. She nuzzled Rex and took a deep breath. “At least they’re safe.”

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak but the roar of engines outside the hut cut him off. All heads turned toward the door. “There are a few more people joining us. Let me get them.” He rose from his seat and left the hut.

Rex kissed Ahsoka’s closest montral. “I’m sorry, Ahsoka.”

She leaned up and kissed his chin. “I’m sorry too, Rex.”

Her Master…

His general…

Fallen.

Ahsoka wiped at her tear stained eyes and sat up, preparing for the others to join them in the hut, whoever they were. Her fingers laced with Rex’s as they waited.

After a moment, Obi-Wan reentered with two familiar faces in tow behind him.

“Brothers!” Rex and Bly blurted, happily. They shot up from their seats.

“Wolffe!” Rex yelled and held out his hand.

Rex received a small upturn of lips and two eyes—one real, one cybernetic—on him in response to his outburst. Wolffe grabbed Rex’s hand and pulled him into a quick hug, to everyone’s surprise. “Nice to see ya alive, Rex.” He let him go and focused on Ahsoka. “Commander Tano, I apologize for my actions during the last time we met.” Stunning her had felt so wrong.

Ahsoka waved a hand dismissively. “It’s okay, Wolffe. And call me Ahsoka, please.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Bly grabbed a hug too before Wolffe introduced everyone to the clone behind him. “This is Gregor, former Commando.”

Gregor waved energetically at everyone. “Hello! I know none of ya has ever met me before, but I know who all of you are.”

Gregor was right, neither Rex nor Bly really knew who he was, but they couldn’t care less that they didn’t. They held their hands out and Gregor shook them eagerly. “Nice to meet you, brothers.”

“Happy to see you, _vod_ ,” Rex greeted.

“Gregor, it’s great to see another friendly face,” Bly said after.

“If you all could sit, please,” Obi-Wan asked, regretfully. He didn’t like breaking up the reunion, but they had something to discuss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan! Who else could Bail send them to? I hate that Obi-Wan never got to see any of his friends again after Ep. III, so I'm remedying that with hugs. <3
> 
> Please do not kill me for not bringing Cody back! I'm sorry! I love Cody to death, but it was always my intention to keep his part canon in this. At least he's still alive...
> 
> And Wolffe and Gregor, love those two boys! Their inclusion is one of my favorite things about Rebels, knowing they got their chips out. (Also, still incredibly curious how the heck Gregor survived the rhydonium explosions and how they all met up.) I'm keeping it pretty ambiguous here, but Bail got a hold of them too. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

Obi-Wan had everyone’s rapt attention once they all sat back down. He looked around at the faces of people he worked with, fought beside, loved. People he never thought he’d see again. Seven strong Force signatures surrounded him, reminded him that he wasn’t alone. He had to clear his throat to keep the emotion from his voice before he spoke. “Bail Organa sent you here to meet me because he knew the intel was safer to explain here on Tatooine. And he knew I’d like to see you.

“With the rise of the Empire, Bail Organa has begun to work on the start of a Rebellion.”

The former Jedi and former troopers sat up straighter at Obi-Wan’s words. The Empire destroyed all of their lives, taking it down would be a miracle.

Obi-Wan continued, “He and Mon Mothma of Chandrila began work on this even before the fall of the Republic. Padmé had been helping too,” He said, sadly. “Bail has been searching for any living clones or Jedi that survived the Purge and just happened to find _four together,_ as well as a few others.”

Wolffe addressed Obi-Wan. “Are we it?”

“There is one more joining us soon. Besides that, we’re not sure. Bail only found you so far. I know that’s hard to hear,” Obi-Wan shook his head in grief. “But the main reason you are all here is because Bail has an offer for you.”

“Which is?” Rex asked.

“Bail is offering for you to live on Alderaan and join him in the work against the Empire. He has assured that you will be completely safe. He’s discrete—always has been. If, or when, the Rebellion grows, you will take up leadership positions. If you so choose. I know from experience you are all natural-born leaders. But”—Obi-Wan held up a finger—"If you don’t want to aid him, he is still offering Alderaan as a sanctuary.”

“Isn’t the senator still a member of the _Imperial_ Senate?” Bly asked. “What if someone visits?”

“He is,” Obi-Wan confirmed. “But he would make sure no one would ever know you were there. He has set up a block of apartments within walking distance of the palace. He’d contact you if anyone dangerous would be arriving. But even so, he told me that is extremely rare.”

Aayla looked to Bly. “It really would be a sanctuary for us, then.”

“Or a base,” Bly said.

“Bail promises you will be safe no matter what you decide,” Obi-Wan said.

A small wall of sound started as the group discussed what to do. Obi-Wan watched as they all talked to each other. A wide smile spread at the sound of so many familiar voices ringing through his new home. He closed his eyes and reached out with the Force. The rush of different emotions was intense, especially after being alone for months.

Bly’s apprehension, Aayla’s eagerness, Rex and Ahsoka’s trust in both Bail and Obi-Wan, Wolffe’s want to relax, Gregor’s subtle indifference, all hit him. But strongest of all was Ahsoka’s pain at learning about Anakin.

He understood.

These seven Force signatures around him…

And then it hit him.

 _Seven_.

Obi-Wan had asked Rex if there was another on their ship when they arrived. He said there hadn’t been. His eyes shot wide open, but no one noticed. He looked around at the six people around him and closed his eyes again. He reached out to Wolffe, Gregor, Bly, Aayla, Rex, and then Ahsoka.

_Ahsoka._

There it was.

The seventh Force signature was _within_ Ahsoka.

Obi-Wan’s breath caught in his throat. He opened his eyes and rubbed them subtly to prevent a tear from falling.

“I think we should at least go,” Rex suggested. “We’d be safe there. No more planet-hopping unless we wanted to. We wouldn’t be kept prisoner there.”

“You’re right, Rex,” Wolffe agreed. “If we could be safe and have some freedom, I say we go. But I’m finished fighting. I’ve witnessed enough.”

“Fair enough,” Rex said. “Gregor?”

Gregor scratched the back of his neck. “I haven’t been the same since I escaped from Abafar. Got knocked for a loop there. But I don’t want us split up again, Rex. I’m goin’, I’m just not joinin’ the fight,” he told them.

“I’m joining the cause. Maybe someday we could end the corruption.” Aayla said, determinedly.

Bly kissed her hand. “We’ll do it together, _cy’are_.”

Ahsoka met Rex’s eyes. There was a bright gleam in them. “You want to rebel,” Ahsoka guessed.

Rex smirked and raised an eyebrow. “So do you.”

“Working quietly to build up a movement to take down the evil organization that caused the death and fall of ones we love? Absolutely,” Ahsoka stated. “We could break out someday and cause some real damage. Bail and Mon Mothma are going to need help. They’re asking for it. You know I do.”

Rex laughed and leaned his forehead against hers. “Let’s fight. Side by side.”

“We are pretty good at it, huh?” Ahsoka quipped and pecked his lips.

Obi-Wan spoke up, “The Rebellion is still in its inception stage. Tiny factions seem to be taking shape, but like Ahsoka said, they’re just building for now. That bombing on Kashyyyk was a small faction that Bail doesn’t work with. He’s watching and waiting for the right time.”

“But until then, we can live and work and stay safe,” Ahsoka reminded them. She looked at Rex and he gave her a nod.

Rex held up their joined hands. “Ahsoka and I are in.”

“Bly and I are with you too.” Aayla said.

“We’ll leave the fighting to you guys,” Wolffe said.

Gregor raised his hand. “But we’re still comin’.”

“Understood, men,” Rex said. “We’re still just excited you’re here with us.”

“Bail gave me the coordinates here.” Obi-Wan handed Rex a datapad. “You will arrive directly at the palace hangar. Bail himself will collect you. Your ship will also be safe. He’s expecting your arrival soon.”

“We could leave after dawn,” Aayla decided. Murmurs of agreement met her words. “Wolffe, Gregor, you’ll join us on the ship, we have plenty of room. We’ll need rest for our journey.” Aayla stood and hugged Obi-Wan tightly. “I’m so thankful you’re alive, Obi. Take care of yourself and watch over baby Luke. We’ll keep in touch.”

“Please do.”

Bly, Gregor, and Wolffe shook Obi-Wan’s hand and Rex gave him a hug. Ahsoka went in for a hug but Obi-Wan stopped her before she could. “Ahsoka, would you hang back with me for a moment?”

“Sure.” She winked at Rex as he led everyone out to the _Survivor_.

Now with just the two of them, Obi-Wan whispered, “Congratulations again, Ahsoka.” He hugged her tightly. “Does Rex know?”

“That we’re married? Kind of, being that he asked me.” She chuckled at him.

Obi-Wan pulled away from their hug. Did she not… “No. I know that—I mean—” He blew out a breath. “When was the last time you meditated, Ahsoka?”

Visible confusion shown in Ahsoka’s eyes as she answered. “It’s been a while. Longer than it should be, really. Why?”

“Meditate with me.” Obi-Wan laid out a fabric roll and gestured with his hand, inviting her to sit down.

She crossed her legs in front of her and watched Obi-Wan do the same. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. She released that breath slowly and her mind cleared as she did so.

The hut was quiet. No sounds distracted Ahsoka as she breathed and felt. Obi-Wan’s calm always seemed unshakable. It was there, but his regret about Anakin and worry over Luke lingered beneath. She also felt a bright joy directed at her and the others.

She felt the moisture in the ground. She felt the eopie outside. She felt all of the desert dwelling creatures living in the sand that called this planet home scurrying around.

She felt Aayla’s eagerness to join Bail’s cause and meet other people that fought for the same thing.

She felt Bly’s decreasing apprehension, as well as the same eagerness he shared with his wife.

Wolffe had always been one of the more stoic troopers in the G.A.R., but he was happy too.

Gregor was antsy, his mind was everywhere— but even so, Ahsoka could tell he was excited to be with his brothers again.

And Rex.

Her strong, sweet, Rex. He was elated to have found two more of his brothers and one of his generals. He was also shocked and disappointed at the truth about Anakin like she was.

Then she felt a _new_ life.

A Force signature so new and so close that it startled her. She focused solely on that signature and once she realized where it was, _who_ it was…

The new life was _within_ her.

She brushed her fingers across her abdomen.

“How could I not—? I didn’t think— I mean, I knew he could— But—”

Obi-Wan’s smile was blinding. “Life is as the Force wills it, Ahsoka.”

“Wow…” Ahsoka turned and kissed Obi-Wan’s gray temple. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered, “thank you,” before she jumped up and ran out of the hut and up the ramp of the ship.

She closed it behind her and rushed to her and Rex’s quarters. The doors to Aayla and Bly’s, Gregor’s, and Wolffe’s rooms were already shut for the night.

Rex was awake on their bed looking at the datapad Obi-Wan had given him. She watched his fingers glide across the screen and his expression change as he flipped through. He looked up at Ahsoka’s beaming face as she entered. He set the datapad next to his helmet on the side table and sat up with a smile of his own. “All right, _cyar’ika_?”

Ahsoka stood right in front of him and grabbed Rex’s hands to pull him to the edge of the bed, closer to her. “Yes, everything’s fine. More than fine. Obi-Wan wanted me to meditate with him. I haven’t meditated since a few rotations after we first landed on Batuu. It was gratifying.”

Rex kissed both of Ahsoka’s hands and then her lips. “Good.”

“Rex,” Ahsoka began, she didn’t want to wait at all to tell him their news. “While I was meditating, I discovered something.”

Rex blinked at her, eyes focused, waiting for her to explain. “Tell me.”

“I felt a new Force signature. A new life.”

“Around us? Where?”

His wife answered the question with a watery smile. “Not _around_ us.” She brought his warm hands to her lower abdomen. “ _Part_ of us,” she breathed.

Rex looked up into Ahsoka’s bright blue eyes as her words sunk in. His eyes fell to where she laid his hands and he swallowed thickly. Tears welled in his eyes. His voice was full of emotion when he whispered, “Are you really?”

Ahsoka nodded.

“I didn’t even know we—Togruta hybrids are rare—I—” Rex stuttered.

Ahsoka embraced Rex’s face with her hands. “Life is as the Force wills it.”

“Oh, ‘Soka.” A soft sob broke from Rex, he fell from the edge of the bed to his knees and enveloped Ahsoka in a fierce, protective embrace. He buried his face in her abdomen and she held his head there, running her fingers lovingly through his hair.

A _child._

 _Their_ child _._

His tears fell freely.

He peppered her belly with kisses and Ahsoka giggled softly. She got down on her haunches and hugged Rex back. He caught her lips in a searing kiss, making sure to always keep a hand on her belly. This gift she was giving him was… _Force_ , it was unfathomable and so, so remarkable.

Ahsoka felt how thrilled and grateful Rex was, and it made her heart swell. “Are you happy, Rex?”

Rex picked her up and stood to spin her around the room. “I am so much more than happy, Ahsoka Tano.” He set her down and leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you.”

She kissed his chin. “And I love you, Rex Tano. I know this is _extremely_ sudden, but—”

“I don’t care about the timing. Are _you_ happy?”

“Absolutely.”

“Wonderful. I am too, and that’s all that matters. I never expected my life to turn out like this. A wife, a child—a _baby,_ Ahsoka!” He laughed lightly. “I’ve broken quite a few rules. Cut would be proud.”

“I have too. Anakin would—” She stopped speaking immediately, remembering the fate of her former master.

Rex pulled her close to him again, this time for a completely different reason. Her tears of happiness turned to tears of sadness. The pain of her master’s fall would weigh on her and Rex both. But the feeling and knowledge of new life within her—new life that _they created_ —helped her.

Helped them both.

She sniffled. “Well, there’s always light amidst the darkness.”

Rex kissed a white cheek marking. “There is indeed. Thank you, Ahsoka.”

“Thank you, Rex.”

////

The sound of Ahsoka’s comlink woke her and Rex up before dawn the next morning. It hadn’t gone off since before the Purge. Groggily, she turned away from Rex’s chest to retrieve it from the side table. She didn’t even try to hide the sleep in her voice when she answered it. “Yes?”

_“Ahsoka, it’s Obi-Wan. I apologize, I know it’s early and that you’ll be leaving in a few hours, but I thought you and Rex might want to take a quick trip with me. A trip to see someone.”_

Ahsoka nudged Rex, but he was already awake and listening. “Really?” She asked. “We can see him?”

_“We can’t get close, but you’ll be able to see him from a short distance.”_

That was better than nothing. Being able to see Anakin’s son? How could they not while they were here?

“We’ll be right out, General.” Rex said as he threw the blanket off of them so they could get dressed.

Rex and Ahsoka walked down the ramp to find Obi-Wan in his robe. He had the hood up to hide his face.

“Good morning. The homestead isn’t that far from here.” Obi-Wan led the couple to the speeder bikes Gregor and Wolffe rode in on. “We won’t be long. Follow me.”

Rex and Ahsoka mounted a bike and did so. It’d be extraordinarily easy to become lost, but he led them effortlessly across the endless sand of the planet. He stopped when a humble homestead came into view on the horizon. Rex and Ahsoka hopped off their speeder and the three walked the rest of the distance. No noise that way.

When they were around thirty meters away, Obi-Wan held up a fist. They were as close as they could go.

The suns had risen enough that they could see two figures walk around the homestead. “Owen and Beru Lars,” Obi-Wan told them. “Owen was Anakin’s stepbrother.”

“I never knew he had one,” Ahsoka said.

Obi-Wan laid a hand on Ahsoka’s shoulder. “He never really told anyone, Ahsoka.”

Beru wore a sling around her chest as she walked from the home to Owen at the moisture vaporators. A tiny hand appeared out of the sling.

Rex pointed it out. “Little Luke Skywalker.”

Ahsoka clasped Rex’s hand. “Baby Skyguy,” she whispered.

“Master Yoda decided Luke would be safe here with his family and Leia would be safe with the Organas, and they are,” Obi-Wan explained. “But they’ll remain separated until it seems right for them to meet.”

Ahsoka couldn’t help but pull a face at that statement. It seemed so harsh, but she supposed she understood. She wanted to trust Master Yoda with this situation. She had to.

They watched Beru reach into the sling and pull Luke out of it. Even at just a few months old, they saw a shock of blond hair on his little head.

Ahsoka unconsciously ran a hand over her abdomen. Rex noticed and kissed one of her montrals.

Beru cuddled Luke close to her and placed a kiss on his head. Owen walked over and rubbed a hand over Luke’s hair affectionately.

“He’s loved here,” Rex assured.

“That is the most important thing,” Ahsoka said.

With that comforting observation, Obi-Wan ushered them back to the speeders.

////

There was an unknown speeder parked outside Obi-Wan’s hut when it came back into view. A lone, hooded figure stood beside it.

Leaving one hand to steer, Rex unholstered one of his blasters in anticipation of the worst, but Obi-Wan hollered over the noise of the speeders. “No need! This is the last person we were waiting for!”

His mind eased, Rex re-holstered his DC-17 and stopped the speeder bike. He dismounted and took Ahsoka’s hand to help her off.

“Hello Captain.”

Rex spun toward the voice. It was the figure beside the new speeder. An arm raised in a wave, but there was no flesh, no hand, just a metal socket. He then realized who was standing there. “Echo!”

Echo lowered his dark hood so Rex could see the grin on his face.

Echo looked like Echo.

He had gained a healthy amount of weight and lean muscle restored his emaciated body. His skin was no longer a sickly pale, it was back to its normal bronzed tone and shone in the sunslight. His black hair had grown back, he even kept it at the same length it had been before. The nodes below his hairline were visible, of course, but the rest were now covered by his hair. The smile he wore was the same as it had always been, from shiny to ARC Trooper to now, and it was an amazing sight to see.

Rex ran and caught Echo in a hug. “I wasn’t sure if you’d survived, brother.”

“I did,” Echo told him. “And I’m here to help stop the Empire.”

Ahsoka met up with them cautiously. Echo had been one of her men, she wanted to greet him. But… she was tentative. Echo was still a clone trooper. He still had a chip put into his head when he was an embryo.

“Commander,” Echo greeted her. “My chip was fried when Wat Tambor and the Techno Union took me apart. I won’t hurt ya. I never would.”

Ahsoka wrapped her arms around Echo. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

Echo patted her back. “I didn’t either.” He let her go and Rex gripped his shoulder.

“What happened to the rest of the Bad Batch?” Rex asked. “Did they…?”

“No. Tech believed their chips didn’t work because of their ‘defects’.” Echo rolled his eyes at the term. “When we heard about what had happened at the Jedi Temple and everywhere else, we went AWOL. Senator Organa got in touch with me and then offered for them to come too, but they decided against it. I came alone. But they’re fine. We touch base now and again.”

Rex was glad to hear that. Working with the Bad Batch had taken some time to get used to, but they were good soldiers. He hoped they would stay hidden and safe.

“So, Captain,” Echo began. “Can I join you on your journey? I want to help take this freewill destroying Empire down.”

“We’re certainly going to try,” Rex ensured. “Take one of the empty quarters on the _Survivor_ for yourself. Welcome home, Echo.”

“Thanks, Rex.” Echo clapped him on the back as he passed to head up the ramp.

“Bail says we can keep in touch,” Obi-Wan said. The suns had fully risen since they had arrived back. It was time for Rex, Ahsoka, and everyone to leave for Alderaan. “He promises we’ll be able to.”

Rex shook Obi-Wan’s hand and brought him in for a hug. “Thank you, General—Obi-Wan. For letting us see you, for telling us the Senator’s plan, and for letting us see Luke.”

Ahsoka hugged Obi-Wan tightly. “We’ll miss you. Thank you for—for telling me the truth.”

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan told her again.

“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault,” She reassured before a warm smile spread slowly across her features. “And most of all, thank you for inviting me to meditate with you. It was… _wonderful_.”

Obi-Wan chuckled as she let him go. “Of course.” He glanced from Ahsoka to a sheepish, smiling Rex. “Congratulations to you both.”

Rex kissed Ahsoka’s temple and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Thank you, sir. We’re looking forward to meeting our new little shiny.” His voice broke on the last word.

Ahsoka reached behind her to cup Rex’s cheek. “Thank you again, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan bowed his head. “May the Force be with you.”

“And with you, Master.” With that, Rex and Ahsoka walked hand in hand up the ramp of their ship.

Obi-Wan looked toward the cockpit viewport and found everyone else already there. He watched as Rex and Ahsoka joined them. The group of Jedi and clone troopers waved down at him as they began to take off and he waved back.

He didn’t stop waving until they were just a dark dot against the bright Tatooine sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, when I first started planning out this story, I was not thinking about a pregnancy plot at all. But as I wrote I just kept getting pulled and pulled and pulled to it. It's the first time I've ever had a story kind of "get away from me" a bit, ya know? My brain would not NOT let me write it. But once I grabbed that plot I decided to save it for the end, and I like it. Obi-Wan telling Ahsoka was a must for me, and not because Ahsoka or Aayla wouldn't be able to tell, they totally would have soon, but they've been around other people for awhile now, Obi hadn't been so I think it'd be quicker for him to realize. Going from NO ONE to multiple sudden signatures would be more in his face, I think.
> 
> Bringing Echo back wasn't in my original plan either, but how could I not??? Precious boy! I LOVED describing him here as looking more like his beautiful old self. I had to mention the Bad Batch too (cannot wait for the series!) and I wanted to have none of them affected by Order 66. (Seems like I was right, too! But we'll have to wait until 2021 to find out for sure.)
> 
> I have just one last chapter, and it's actually an Epilogue, and then this story is finished. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	12. Epilogue

An exhausted Ahsoka rested against a pile of pillows on her med table.

“I’m so proud of you, _cyar’ika_.” Rex whispered into her montral. Ahsoka cupped his cheek affectionately and they watched as the Alderaanian doctor carried their newborn baby to the sink.

////

When they had first landed on Alderaan, Bail met them with baby Leia in his arms. Ahsoka, Rex, and Aayla gushed over her before Bail showed them where they’d live. The place they now called home was a beautiful building of apartments and they were the only residents. It wasn’t just close to the palace; it was _beside_ the palace. They even had royal guards and service when they wanted.

Rex and Ahsoka had waited a few rotations after their arrival on Alderaan to tell their friends their good news. The roar of sound that had erupted was something they would never forget. Aayla had cried and she, Bly, Wolffe, Gregor, and Echo were extremely excited to be _bavodu’e_.

Rex had contacted Cut and Suu to tell them as well. The elation they felt for Rex and Ahsoka was unparalleled. They congratulated them and Shaeeah and Jek cheered about their new cousin in the background. Ahsoka thought she could feel the Lawquane family’s excitement all the way from Saleucami.

The group had started working with Bail right away after their arrival. They’d spend a couple hours each day with their heads buried in datapads. There were tiny cells of Rebels spread throughout the galaxy. The only thing they could do was recruit and research Imperial weaknesses, but a much larger assault seemed possible in the future.

But their biggest asset for now was people, and they were finding them. The Empire continued to cause pain and suffering in such short amounts of time. The people were angry, tired, and hurting, they wanted it to stop. Which is exactly why Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and Padmé Amidala started this fight, and why Rex, Ahsoka, Echo, Aayla, and Bly were continuing it.

////

The doctor placed the baby in Ahsoka’s awaiting arms and left the room.

Now cleaned up and in a plush bed, Ahsoka gasped in awe as she gazed at their newborn baby girl.

Tears welled in Ahsoka and Rex’s eyes as they stared down at their new little bundle. “Welcome to the galaxy, little one. We’ve been waiting for you,” Ahsoka whispered and touched one of their daughter’s tiny hands.

“And we’re fighting to make the galaxy safer for you.” Rex carefully stroked the top of the baby’s soft head with his fingers. She had no hair but the soft buds indicating her lekku and montrals were just noticeable. Her skin wasn’t as sienna in tone as Ahsoka’s, it was closer to Rex’s bronze.

The baby opened her eyes and they were as blue as the water on Naboo. Ahsoka frowned for a second, but it disappeared back into a smile. “I was hoping she’d have your golden-brown.”

“I prefer your blue,” Rex told her. “She’s beautiful.”

“She is. Thank you, Rex.”

Rex kissed Ahsoka on the lips. “Thank _you_ , ‘Soka.”

Ahsoka shifted the baby in her arms. “Hold your daughter, Rex.”

Rex carefully lifted the baby from Ahsoka’s arms and cradled her against him. His breath hitched in his throat. This was their _daughter_. That was mind-blowing and so, so humbling.

Ahsoka stretched to kiss his chin.

Rex gave her a smile before his eyes settled on their baby again, thanking the Force for them both. For his family. He and Ahsoka were allowed to live and have each other and their daughter. He whispered, “ _ad’ika_ , you are so loved. You have us, and you have aunts, and uncles— _so many_ uncles.” A tear rolled down his cheek at that thought. “You’ll be able to meet a few of them. They look a lot like your _buir_ , but we’ll make sure you don’t get confused.” He chuckled lightly and kissed his daughter’s head.

Ahsoka watched the sweet scene from her reclined position on the bed. She touched her husband’s forearm. “She needs a name, Rexster.”

“I can’t just keep calling her Shiny?” Rex asked, partially joking.

Ahsoka giggled. “Of course, you can, but she needs an actual name too.”

“We clones picked out our names ourselves when we were much older. But I understand we can’t do that. Did you want to name her after someone?”

“Do you?” Ahsoka asked.

“I’ve lost so many brothers. You’ve lost so many people, as well. I don’t… She needs her own name,” Rex decided.

“I like that idea. Anything you like in mind?”

Rex stared at his daughter’s face and blue eyes as he thought about it. “How about _Mav_?”

“Mav,” Ahsoka tested the name out. “Mando’a?”

“It is, _cyar’ika_. Mav means free.”

Ahsoka sighed in contentment. She loved this man. “Perfect.”

Rex kissed Ahsoka and they heard a sound from the door of their room. Rex looked at Ahsoka for her agreement before calling for the person to enter. The door opened automatically, and Echo walked in timidly. He waved his flesh hand.

Rex smiled at him. “Welcome, _vod_.”

“I’m the first one here, everyone else is on their way.” Echo stood beside Rex and looked down at the bundle he held. “Congratulations Rex, Ahsoka.”

“Would you like to hold your niece, Echo?” Rex asked him.

A small flash of fear crossed Echo’s features. He lifted his socket arm. “I—I don’t know if—what if I hurt—I…”

“Echo,” Ahsoka’s voice was soothing, “we know you’d never hurt her.”

“But even by accident—”

“Echo,” Rex interrupted him. “Do you _want_ to hold her?”

Echo looked from Rex to Ahsoka then to the baby. “More than anything,” he breathed.

Rex stood and gestured to the chair he was just in. “Sit down.” Echo did as he was told. “Now hold your arms like mine.” Echo made sure his socket arm was on the bottom so his flesh hand would be free.

Once Rex could tell Echo was comfortable, he set Mav in his arms.

Echo smiled wider than he ever had in his entire life. The baby was so small, so sweet. He had never held a baby before—practically no brother ever had—but he loved it. Loved her. He couldn’t help but think that Fives, and their other fallen brothers, would have loved her too.

“Do you like holding her, Uncle Echo?” Ahsoka asked with a grin.

The new title rang through Echo’s ears and a shaky breath escaped him. “Yeah. Thank you for my niece. She’s very pretty.” His awed smile turned into a smirk. “She kinda looks like me.”

Rex rolled his eyes fondly. “Watch it, brother.”

“Just kiddin’,” Echo chuckled and ran a finger over the baby’s arm. “How _are_ you going to explain why her father and uncles look exactly alike?”

“Well, you don’t. You may share the same face, but you don’t look _exactly_ alike,” Ahsoka told him. “Each of you wear your hair differently, Wolffe has his eye, and that’s just physical. None of your personalities are the same.”

“That’s for sure,” Rex quipped. 

“I don’t think she’ll have a hard time with it as she grows up,” Ahsoka said.

“We’ll explain early on that we’re clones,” Rex clarified. “That’ll be safe for her to know. We just won’t tell her _why_ we’re clones.”

“Not for a long time, at least,” Ahsoka made clear. “We’ll tell her about the Jedi too.”

Mav began to cry, and Echo froze. He tried to soothe her but to no avail.

“Don’t worry, Echo. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Ahsoka held her arms out. “Can I have my baby back please?”

Echo stood to give Ahsoka the baby and Mav stopped crying instantly.

“Thank you.” Ahsoka kissed Mav’s forehead. “We’ll make sure she knows about her mother’s and father’s, and aunt’s and uncles’s people.”

The door chimed and opened. “Did I hear ‘aunts and uncles?’” Aayla asked as she walked into the room beaming.

“You did,” Ahsoka confirmed. “Is everyone here?”

“Just outside the door.”

Rex made a sweeping motion with his arm. “Bring ‘em all in.”

Aayla hit a button beside the door and the rest of the group entered. They all migrated to Ahsoka’s bed to get a look at the baby.

Aayla’s hands flew to her mouth. “I am so happy for your little family. She is absolutely beautiful,” she whispered.

Bly wrapped an arm around Aayla. “Agreed. Good job, brother.”

Gregor waved animatedly at the baby and the movement caught her attention. “Hi little one, nice to meet ya.”

Wolffe stood the furthest away at first but couldn’t help but be drawn closer. When he was right beside Ahsoka he leaned toward Mav and she reached up a hand, causing a low rumble of a chuckle from him. “Master Plo would have been so proud of you, Ahsoka.”

Ahsoka touched Wolffe’s arm. “Thank you, Wolffe.” She turned Mav around to show her off better.

“Aayla, _vode,”_ Rex began. “Meet your niece, Mav.”

“Free,” Echo, Wolffe, Bly, and Gregor all said in unison.

“Mando’a for free. That’s perfect,” Echo said.

Ahsoka snuggled Mav closer to her. “It is.”

“That’s why I chose it,” Rex said, proudly. “We’re going to keep working until her name can be a reality for everyone.”

“Of course, Rex and I will be cutting back now that Mav is here, but we’ll be joining Bail again soon. Our place is with each other, with Mav, with you, and with the Rebellion,” Ahsoka said.

Rex wrapped his arms around her and kissed her montral. “Yes, it is.”

“You know,” Echo spoke as he thought aloud, “as the most likely Force sensitive daughter of a clone deserter and a Jedi traitor, Mav’s a rebellion in herself.”

Rex and Ahsoka looked to each other and leaned in for a sweet, smiley kiss on the lips.

“She really is,” Ahsoka whispered once they broke apart.

Rex kissed her montral again. “I love you, Ahsoka.”

Ahsoka kissed his sharp cheekbone. “ _Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum_ , Rex.”

Their lips met again before they leaned down to kiss their daughter’s warm, soft cheeks.

Mav _was_ a rebellion—a perfect, quiet rebellion—and her parents, and her aunt, and her uncles would fight as long as necessary to guarantee that one day she would be as free as her name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it is done! I enjoyed writing this story SO much. It's been written for a few weeks, and editing took me awhile, but it was so worth it. This is the longest story I have ever written by a mile, and I am a little proud of that. 
> 
> I found Mav's name while perusing a Mando'a dictionary and it popped out immediately, I loved it, and thought it was absolutely something Rex would suggest and Ahsoka would love. Everyone's reactions to the baby were so much fun to write, and to be able to give them something so happy after all they've been through was wonderful. That will be the most loved baby in the galaxy, oh my goodness. The line about Mav being a rebellion in herself was what popped into my head and made me do the pregnancy story line in the end, I like that line a lot.
> 
> I just wish they all could have been this happy in canon. Alas no. But, for eleven chapters and one epilogue, I fixed it for these sweet, loyal, loving, BAMF Jedi and Clones. <3
> 
> I could honestly write the world's longest note here, but I won't. Most importantly, I just want to say again, THANK YOU FOR READING!


End file.
